“U.S. accident statistics reveal that a helicopter pilot who unintentionally continues VFR flight into IMC will very likely lose control of their aircraft and be dead within a median time of 56 seconds. We must join industry stakeholders to do everything we can to reverse this alarming and unacceptable trend.”
Nick Mayhew, industry co-chair, US Helicopter Safety Team
Unintended Flight in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (UIMC) Safety Initiative
The resource links provided below are only a sample of the information, tools, and services available that may enhance your ability to avoid or recover from a UIMC/IIMC event. Always complete careful due diligence to ensure any information you select is safe and appropriate for your operations
Why 56 Seconds?
This document provides a brief history including the source data that establishes the foundation for the USHST’s “56 Seconds to Live” safety initiative.
Online Training Resources (online)
- Course – 56 Seconds to Live Awareness and Prevention (USHST provided by HAI Academy)
- Course – Spatial Disorientation: The Physiological Response of IIMC (Helicopter Institute Online)
- Webinar – Helicopter IIMC Fatal Accident Prevention (Helicopter Online Training School)
- Webinar – USHST Roundtable on 56 Seconds to Live (HAI@WORK Webinar
Ground School, Simulator and Aircraft Training Resources
- Advanced Helicopter Surviving IIMC (Flight Safety International)
- IIMC and Unusual Attitude Recovery Training Course (AIRBUS)
- IIMC Course (SUU Aviation)
- IIMC Training Course – Helicopter (Mountain View Helicopters)
Recommended Practices
- Spatial Disorientation Induced by DVE (USHST H-SE 127A)
- Simulation Training for Aviation Decision Making (USHST H-SE 123)
- Article: A 360-Degree Approach to IIMC (ROTOR)
Videos
- 56 Seconds to Live (USHST)
- The Importance of IIMC Training (SUU Aviation)
- When IMC is Imminent (AIRBUS)
- IIMC Challenge (AIRBUS/HELISIM LLC)
- Degraded Visual Environment and Loss of Control (EHEST)
- That Others May Live (AIRBUS)
- 178 Seconds to Live (Air Safety Institute)
Planning Tools
- 1-800-WX-BRIEF (Leidos Flight Service)
- Sky Vector Aeronautical Charts – Flight Planning Products and Services
- NOAA National Weather Service HEMS Weather Tool
- NOAA Meteorological Development Laboratory Model Output Statistics
- FAA Weather Cameras
Risk Management
- FRAT Mobile App – Safety Tools (NGFT Solutions)
- FRAT Tool – Flight Risk Assessment Tools (FAA)
- Article – Beyond the FRAT: learn to say no (Vertical)
- Poster – IIMC Toolkit-large, IIMC Toolkit-flyer (ROTOR)
Other Resources
- Essay – Clear Solutions to a Murky Problem
- Essay – Inadvertent IMC: Being Somewhere Other Than Cloud 9
- Essay – Night Vision Goggle Helmets
- Essay – The Challenges of Night Flight
- Fact Sheet – 8 Golden Rules About Weather and Helicopter Flights
- Fact Sheet – Follow the Four “C’s”: Helicopter Pilots in Inadvertent IMC Situations
- Fact Sheet – Helicopter Accidents During Night Operations
Take the USHST 56 Seconds to Live Awareness and Prevention Online Training Course
Read “A 360-Degree Approach to IIMC” ROTOR Magazine Article