Flight Safety Foundation Helicopter Safety 2000

These publications are in Adobe^® Portable Document Format (PDF) and require a copy of Adobe Reader^®. If you do not have a copy of Adobe Reader, you can download and install a free copy from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html.

November–December 2000

Helicopter Strikes Terrain During External-load Aerial Logging Operation 6 pages. [PDF 74K]

The investigation report said that a fatigue fracture in the main-rotor mast resulted in an in-flight separation of the main rotor from the helicopter.

September–October 2000

‘Cardiac Event’ Suspected In Pilot’s Loss of Aircraft Control 4 pages. [PDF 42K]

The investigative report said that ‘some loss of control’ occurred during the final seconds of a charter flight in New Zealand. The cause of the loss of control was not established conclusively, but the report said that the pilot might have experienced ‘the sudden onset of a cardiac event.’

July–August 2000

Records Show 27 U.S.-registered Helicopters Involved in Midair Collisions During 1990s 6 pages. [PDF 45K]

The collisions represented 1.4 percent of all accidents involving helicopters registered in the United States throughout the decade.

May–June 2000

Engine, Transmission Failures Lead Causes of Accidents in U.S. Helicopter Logging Operations 12 pages. [PDF 103K]

More than half the accidents in U.S. helicopter logging operations in 1983 through 1999 involved failures of engines or transmission systems. Metal fatigue and external-load problems also were major causes of accidents.

March–April 2000

Helicopter Strikes Wires While Installing Cable on Tower 4 pages. [PDF 41K]

The pilot was maneuvering the helicopter to aid installation of cable on an electric-power transmission tower when a wire strike occurred; the helicopter then began an uncontrolled descent and struck the ground. The pilot was seriously injured, and a crewmember was killed.

January–February 2000

Air Ambulance Strikes Mountain In Heavy Snow and High Winds 4 pages. [PDF 49K]

Witnesses said blizzard conditions existed at a remote rescue site when a Bell 222UT pilot attempted to evacuate a critically injured cross-country skier. The investigation report said that the pilot’s “perception of pressure” to complete the flight was a factor in the accident.