USHST Monthly Safety Report for August 2026
US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST)
Monthly Safety Report
August 2026
USHST Vision: A civil registered helicopter community without fatal accidents
US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) Calendar Year Metrics
The USHST’s 5-year goals for 2025-2029 are based on individual, 14 CFR Operating Parts, tracked by the 5-year average fatal accident rates per 100K hours.
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14 CFR Part
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Baseline, CY2018-2022 (per 100K hours)
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Goal, CY2025-2029 (per 100K hours)
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Progress, CY2021-2025 (per 100K hours)
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|
91
|
0.81
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0.73 (10% reduction)
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0.47
|
|
133
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1.73
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1.56 (10% reduction)
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0.90
|
|
135
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0.33
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0.17 (50% reduction)
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0.42¯
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|
137
|
1.11
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1.00 (10% reduction)
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1.10¯
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USHST uses the following as conditions for the fatal accidents included in rate calculations: U.S. registered aircraft, operating in the U.S./U.S. territories (includes offshore), not operating as Public Aircraft (public use)
Helicopter - Safety Enhancement (H-SE) Details
H-SE 2023-04, Improve fatigue awareness and risk mitigation of scheduling factors leading to fatigue
Fatigue is an often underreported but significant risk factor in helicopter operations. Since 1990, the NTSB has conducted 6,561 helicopter accident investigations. While only 33 investigations explicitly cited fatigue or lack of adequate sleep as a contributing factor, this likely understates the true impact. Based on benchmarks from other industries, fatigue is estimated to be a factor in 1 in 5 incidents. Current subjective self-assessment approaches to fatigue management are problematic because: People with sleep debt systematically underestimate their alertness deficits; fatigue changes risk perception, leading to greater risk acceptance; and individual thresholds for acceptable fatigue vary and may be influenced by production pressures.
OUR SOLUTION
¨ White paper Conduct research and publish a white paper that communicates the need for an FRMP among rotorcraft operators. This will include a review of helicopter incidents investigated by NTSB. Completed July 2025
¨ FRMP checklist Develop a checklist to support rotorcraft operators in identifying the key components of a comprehensive FRMP to cover the range of fatigue risks in helicopter operations. Completed June 2026
¨ Case study Conduct with a rotorcraft operator adopting a comprehensive FRMP to serve as an industry guide.
¨ Large-scale study on fatigue in air medical transport operations to gather data tailored specifically to helicopter ops.
Please refer to USHST.org to view this entire safety report and its Calendar Year Metrics.
For any questions regarding the information within this notice please contact Clarke Pleasants, Assistant Professor of Aerospace, MTSU, at 615-898-2054 or email at [email protected]