US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST)
Monthly Safety Report
March 2023
Fatal Accident Rate: 0.75 (+.20) above goal of 0.55 fatal accidents per 100K hrs by 2025
USHST Vision: A Civil Helicopter Community with Zero Fatal Accidents
“Safety by the Numbers” (Monthly Metrics):
Days since last Fatal helicopter accident: 70 Days : 01 Hours : 09 Minutes : 56 Seconds
Fatal Accident Rate (5yr avg)(CY2019-23) 0.75 Fatal Accidents per 100K Flight Hours
Fatal Accident Rate (CY2023) 0 Fatal Accidents per 100K Flight Hours
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Average number of days
between fatal accidents:
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Longest time between
fatal accidents (past 5 yrs):
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2018: 14 days
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107 days (2020)
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2019: 16 days
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2020: 18 days
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2021: 17 days
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2022: 21 days
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Loss of Control-Inflight (LOC-I), Unintended Flight into IMC (UIMC), Low Altitude Operations (LALT).
USHST continues to work on the implementation of 16 Helicopter - Safety Enhancements (H-SE) developed through data-driven analysis of 104 fatal accidents. The H-SE’s use Outreach, Policy, Technology/Equipment, and Training to reduce fatal accidents in these categories.
H-SE 81: Simulators and Outside-the Envelope Flight Conditions
Provide recommendations for mathematical/physics-based models for helicopter flight dynamics to achieve more realistic, higher-fidelity simulations of outside-the-envelope flight conditions. Current models are not accurate at edge-of-the-envelope and outside-of-the-envelope flight regimes. This may lead to unrealistic training of maneuvers such as loss of tail rotor effectiveness, vortex ring state/settling with power, and autorotations and a negative transfer of training when similar situations are encountered during actual flight.
1. FAA, industry, and academia to review existing helicopter simulator/physics-based models and conduct research/testing to develop recommendations regarding improved helicopter mathematical/physics-based models.
2. FAA AFS-200/AFS-800 to update advisory circulars AC120-45A and AC-61-136A (or create helicopter-specific variants) based on recommendations to facilitate use of improved fidelity helicopter flight dynamics models in helicopter simulators.
3. USHST Outreach Team to conduct outreach to simulator and flight training device manufacturers regarding recommendations for higher-fidelity mathematical models.
Improve Simulator Modeling for Outside-the-Envelope Flight Conditions: Output Report
US Helicopter Safety Team Press Release (Mar ‘23): USHST names Chris Baur as its next industry Co-Chair
Helicopter Safety OUTREACH events:
· Next USHST All Hands Webinar – TBD Previous All Hands - November 14, 2022
· ROTOR Helicopter Association International - Upcoming Events
· Helicopter Safety Alliance - Upcoming Events
JOIN/FOLLOW USHST
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For any questions regarding the information within this notice please contact Clarke Pleasants, Program Chair-Rotor, ERAU, at 928-7774730 or email at [email protected]