The sling for the underslung fire-fighting bucket contacted the tail rotor resulting in a loss of control. Investigators identified a vulnerability in the bucket’s design and shortcomings in promulgating essential design data to operators.
NZ Firefighting AS350 Accident: Role Equipment Design Issues Read Post »
A quadcopter collided with the jetty it was inspecting as the remote pilot tried to maintain visual contact from inside the wheelhouse of a pilot vessel 100 m away.
Inspection UAS Collides with PNG LNG Export Jetty Read Post »
Distracted by radio calls and with a poor split of duties the fire-fighting flight crew missed their high descent rate during their third attempt to uplift water. After the water impact there were survivability issues and one of the crew was unable to escape underwater.
Korean Kamov Ka-32T Fire-Fighting Water Impact and Underwater Egress Fatal Accident Read Post »
Hydraulics control system wiring had been misconnected 16 years earlier and repeatedly missed during checks. When inadvertently activated, the “HYD” cut-off caused the TR servo-valve compensator to make the aircraft uncontrollable say GPIAAF.
Fire-Fighting AS350 Hydraulics Accident: Dormant Miswiring Read Post »
LOC-I on a low, slow downwind leg. The survivors had not trained with the specific AEA in place. The front crew both became trapped.
NH90 Caribbean Loss of Control – Inflight, Water Impact and Survivability Issues Read Post »
The NTSB issue their preliminary report on an LA air ambulance hospital helipad landing accident.
NTSB on LA A109S Rooftop Hospital Helipad Landing Accident Read Post »
Spatial disorientation in night IMC during an air ambulance helicopter missed approach resulted in a fatal loss of control. The operator’s second night accident in less than three years in similar circumstances.
Air Ambulance A109S Spatial Disorientation in Night IMC Read Post »
Just because a company does the job one way for 30 years and has a 10k hour pilot doesn’t guarantee success. Techniques changed overnight after this accident. Once the tail rotor was catastrophically damaged, the consequences may have been reduced by the Bambi Bucket being a drag chute.
Short Sling Stings Speedy Squirrel: Tail Rotor Strike Fire-Fighting in Réunion Read Post »
During a mountain take-off a HEMS crew are caught out by the poor contrast of rising snow-covered ground.
HEMS EC135T1 CFIT During Mountain Take Off in Poor Visibility Read Post »
An air ambulance in cruise at c 1,000 ft struck multiple geese, crashing with the loss of 3 lives. At dusk the bird strike risk in that area was ‘severe’ according to USAF modelling, available online as a planning tool.
Deadly Dusk Air Ambulance Bird Strike Read Post »
BEA were unable to establish the reason for Loss of Control in the hover. The pilot was suffering from an unreported back condition and the HESLO technique required an awkward body position. BEA make recommendations about wellbeing and personal readiness.
During a mountain rescue a Sécurité Civile EC145 was damaged by loose foliage being recirculated into the main rotor. Afterwards the crew hoist up 4 people and fly two short sectors back to base, exposing 6 people to heightened risk say BEA-E investigators.
Sécurité Civile EC145 Mountain Rescue Blade Strike Read Post »
The instructor, confident in his student’s ability, let an exercise proceed outside of RFM recommendations. The aircraft contacted the ground with a 6.1 m/s vertical velocity (20 ft/s).
Swedish SAR AW139 Damaged in Aborted Take-off Training Exercise Read Post »
The NTSB determined that this air ambulance helicopter accident, which killed 3, was due to a loss of control as a result of fatigue during cruise at night.
Fatal Fatigue: US Night Air Ambulance Helicopter LOC-I Accident Read Post »
BEA identify several contributory factors for a power line inspection crew’s failure to identify a crossing cable before a wire strike.
Crossing Cable Wirestrike Read Post »
A confined HEMS landing site, a backlit but identified low wire, a misdiagnosed routing and mitigating a FOD threat all added to the complexity in this landing.
Hanging on the Telephone… HEMS Wirestrike Read Post »
Degraded gust locks, an omission in familiarisation, a non-specific checklist and inadequate pre-flight checks all feature in this survey aircraft runway excursion.
Gust Lock Gaff: King Air A90 Runway Excursion Read Post »
The need to be cautious of hidden debris is highlighted by this NTSB report.
Air Ambulance Helicopter Downed by Fencing FOD Read Post »
There was an inadequate pre-task briefing, and an undersized team. Operations continued as drizzle started in order to use all the mixed concrete. A device that would have increased separation from the live line was on-site but not used.
Shocking Accident: Two Workers Electrocuted During HESLO Read Post »
The BFU investigated how flying controls of a SAR helicopter became disconnected. A nut was reused. Torque was insufficient. Lubrication was applied incorrectly. A cotter pin was likely omitted. The maintenance was also not signed off.
SAR AS365N3 Flying Control Disconnect: BFU Investigation Read Post »
Airbus AS350B2 9N-ALR of Simrik Air, fell from the helipad on top of the 12-storey Grande International Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, ending on the hospital roof c3 m below.
Air Ambulance Helicopter Fell From Kathmandu Hospital Helipad Read Post »
Insufficient fuel, a switch selection error that resulted in both a loss of electrical power and accelerated fuel burn and a distracting breakdown of pilot/medical personnel communication.
Air Ambulance Forced Landing: Fuel and Switch Errors Plus CRM Breakdown Read Post »
At night a ground ambulance driver manoeuvred closer not realising the rotor blades were turning. Exactly 6 months earlier a drunk driver had driven into the same helicopter!
Ambulance / Air Ambulance Collision Read Post »
Possible self-induced commercial pressure and task fixation may have been factors in a HESLO accident involving a loss of visual reference at a mountain top site on lift 29 of 30, resulting in spatial disorientation and a partial loss of control say AIB Denmark.
Inadvertent Entry into IMC During Mountaintop HESLO Read Post »
NTSB believe a pilot, distracted during low level single pilot photography, missed the potential for carb icing, resulting in a power loss and stall at low altitude.
Carb Icing Suspected in Fatal Aerial Photography Flight Read Post »
