Welcome to the Fall 2024 US Helicopter Safety Team e-newsletter! We sincerely appreciate your time and participation with the US Helicopter Safety Team. If you are first joining us, the USHST is publishing a quarterly eNewsletter, featuring safety tips, statistical data and shared experiences in our community. If you would like to share your experiences & feedback at https://ushst.org/join-ushst/ or let us know if you would be interested in volunteering or want to volunteer a friend!
The USHST is comprised of dedicated volunteers from industry and government who are committed to eliminating fatal accidents. Our volunteers are from the FAA, NTSB, and Vertical Aviation International, who have come together to reduce accidents in our community. The USHST also participates with the VAST – Vertical Aviation Safety Team, which consists of International Regional Safety Teams, which we are part of.
Our community has sustained several fatal accidents this fall.
- Owen Kentucky – B206L Air Ambulance – Antenna Guide Wire – (3) Fatalities
- Houston, Texas – R44 Night Sightseeing Tour – Antenna 1049’ – (4) Fatalities
- Iowa, Louisiana – R44 Night Personal Flight – Loss of Control – (3) Fatalities – Student Pilot, No FAA Medical/Basic Med carrying passengers.
Familiarize yourself with the area – airspace, obstacles, terrain, minimum safe altitudes. At night, operate above this altitude to avoid CFIT.
If the weather doesn’t look good on the ground, it will look a lot worse in the air. Night VFR can quickly become Night IMC. If you are not instrument rated, proficient or prepared, JUST SAY NO!
Always be prepared for an engine failure, even if you have more than one. (I speak from experience). IF the task at hand requires an autorotation at night, how will you manage that?
Avoid distractions in the cockpit, particularly during critical phases of flight. Think about FPF – Flight Path First – know where the aircraft is going at all times. When you first realize you are deviating from your intended Flight Path, get back to the basics – Aviate, Navigate and Communicate. If you are single pilot, consider use of an autopilot, if available to balance the workload. If the autopilot is causing the problem, turn it off and fly; use the appropriate level of automation for the situation.
If you are flying with another pilot or a non-rated crewmember, leverage the resource when you need help. If you need to look inside; avionics, chart, copy a clearance…tell them “I’m going heads down, scan outside for me…”
Please be familiar with the privileges and limitations of your certificate (s). If you are a student pilot, clearly, you are not authorized to carry passengers.
Monthly Summary
October Totals: 8 accidents, 2 fatal accidents, 7 fatalities
– The 7 fatalities during the month were the highest for the month of October since FY13 and the second highest for any October in the last 20 FYs.
– For the two fatal accidents during the month, one was in the Helicopter Air Ambulance industry segment and the other was Air Tour/Sightseeing (Part 91).
– The NTSB’s preliminary accident reports communicated that low altitude object strikes were involved in the accident sequence of both fatal accidents.
– The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) analysis from 2019-2023 identified low altitude object strikes accounted for ≈20% of fatal helicopter accidents.
FY25 Summary
FY25 Totals: 8 accidents, 2 fatal accidents, 7 fatalities
Accidents (including both fatal & non-fatal accidents):
– The FY25 estimated accident rate through 1 month was 3.07 per 100K hours (11% higher than the same period in FY24 and 11% lower than the 5-year average for the same period).
Fatal Accidents:
– The FY25 estimated fatal accident rate through 1 month was 0.77 per 100K hours (94% higher than the same period in FY24 and 17% higher than the 5-year average for the same period).
Fatalities:
– The FY25 estimated fatality rate through 1 month was 2.69 per 100K hours (580% higher than the same period in FY24, 199% higher than the 5-year average for the same period).
– 25% of all accidents that occurred in the first month of the FY had a fatality.
New! The USHST Foundation
The USHST Foundation has been created to accept donations to fund projects and services such as the Peer Pilot Program. As a community, we can purchase Official USHST branded merchandise here: https://vaigiftstore.com/ushst-helicopter-safety/ and the proceeds will fund these programs. Official USHST branded merchandise consists of a variety of apparel, and collectable items including a limited edition USHST Challenge Coin!
USHST Foundation – Peer Pilot Menal Health Program
The USHST recently announced its new Peer Pilot Program (PPP) for helicopter pilots, with the official commencement date of March 2025 during VERTICON in Dallas! The program is completely confidential, free of charge and professionally supported by the USHST Foundation. The program consists of a of self-help “Resilience Hub” accessible from the USHST website, professionally vetted and trained Peer Pilot Volunteers, and a highly experienced, Aviation focused Psychologist. Helicopter pilots no longer need to face problems alone. The USHST is currently seeking Peer Pilot Volunteers who are interested in working with their fellow helicopter pilots at a time of need. Peer Pilots will receive training and be part of a professionally managed program, focused on our helicopter community. Pilots Interested in becoming a Peer Pilot volunteer can contact the USHST at info@USHST.org, please put PPP Volunteer in the subject.
The FAA Rotorcraft Collective
The USHST and the FAA’s Rotorcraft Collective have been working on several videos to enhance safety. The most recent is Self-Induced Pressure to fly. This production was made possible through government-industry collaboration with Airbus, Hughes and the FAA. Please check it out!
Helicopter Safety Enhancements or HS-E’s – A Summary Report can be found here https://ushst.org/h-se-details/
HS-E’s are one of the USHST’s cornerstone safety products. Each HS-E is a thoroughly researched document that is composed by Subject Matter Experts to provide a depth of understanding about a specific topic. HS-E’s can also consist of white papers with recommended practices, calls to action; or videos, posters, webinars or checklists. CFI’s – these can be a great resource for your students! In each e-USHST Newsletter, we will examine one of the HS-E’s from the USHST library.
This e-Newsletter will feature HS-E 30: Develop/Publish ACS Rotorcraft-Helicopter Series. Since the production of HS-E 30, Matt Johnson, Tim Tucker and others have worked with the FAA to publish the new ACS standards for Helicopters.
H-SE 124, Improve Understanding of Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics:
Original Enhancement Action: Training: FAA and industry to review and revise materials explaining basic helicopter aerodynamics to emphasize recognition of unsafe aerodynamic situations and apply appropriate corrective actions.
Results: Output #2- Revise to the Helicopter Flying Handbook, Helicopter Instructor’s Handbook and pertinent ACs concerning unsafe aerodynamic situations, to include vortex ring state, low G mast bumping, and low RPM rotor stall guidance.
The Helicopter Flying Handbook has been revised (2019), and available along with the Helicopter Instructor’s handbook, and the FAR/AIM Files section in the Main Menu of the Hughes App. (See below on information to get your free subscription). There is a new feature, Chat with your files where you can Ask Howard questions and search content in these documents using AI.
There is also a Push to Talk Podcast – Understanding Helicopter Aerodynamics.
You can join the USHST and receive both a Membership Card as well as a free subscription to the Hughes App https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hughes-app/id1491944548
You can learn more about the Hughes App collaboration with the USHST in this Airbus Podcast “Push to Talk” with Bruce Webb.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/push-to-talk-with-bruce-webb-a-helicopter-podcast/id1640747361
Thank you for your dedication to helicopter safety!