Welcome to the Winter 2026 US Helicopter Safety Team e-newsletter!
If you are first joining us, or participate regularly, we are excited to have you as a member of the team and hope you will take advantage of your USHST resources. If you would like to share your experiences & feedback, please visit us at https://ushst.org/join-ushst/ or let us know if you would be interested in volunteering.
If you are new to USHST, it is comprised of volunteers both experienced and some just getting started, who are committed to eliminating fatal accidents. Our volunteers are from the Helicopter OEMs, Flight Schools, FAA, NTSB, and industry advocacy groups, led by VAI – Vertical Aviation International. I’d like to mention long-term Steering Committee member Tim Tucker from Robinson Helicopter, who recently announced his retirement. Tim’s rich past and many contributions to helicopter safety was featured in the USHST’s previous newsletter, and this edition as well with his preflight essay. We applaud Tim’s decision to enjoy his well-deserved retirement but will certainly miss him. Robinson will continue to participate with CEO David Smith’s participation.
Collectively, we’ve all come together to reduce accidents in our helicopter community. The USHST also participates with the VAST – Vertical Aviation Safety Team, which consists of International Regional Safety Helicopter Teams, which we are part of.
As we begin 2026, our community has experienced helicopter accidents with (4) fatalities.
January 2, 2026, MD369FF helicopter had a wire strike with a slackline in Superior, AZ, resulting in (4) fatalities. The USHST is interested in feedback from its members on slackline operations. Please send your suggestions to safety@USHST.org
- NOTE: As the NTSB continues its investigation and develops safety recommendations, USHST urges operators and pilots to share practical resources that reduce the risk of a repeat accident, including hazards not captured by traditional reporting. One tool is SlackMap (https://slackmap.com), a public community map that is not aviation-authoritative but can supplement preflight planning and obstacle awareness for low-level, off-airport, and special-mission operations.
January 15, 2026, a B206 crashed in a field in Logsden, OR. The pilot was the sole occupant onboard with unknown injuries.
January 29, 2026, a helicopter (type unreported) struck power lines in Meramec State Park, MO. with (4) occupants sustaining minor injuries.
Monthly Summary
December Totals: 6 accidents, 3 fatal accidents, 3 fatalities
- For the fatal accidents, 2 of the 3 were from the same midair collision event between two helicopters operated in the Part 91 category, for personal/private use.
- The 6 accidents occurred in 4 different industry sectors.
FY26 Summary
FY26 Totals: 13 accidents, 6 fatal accidents, 9 fatalities
Monthly Summary
January Totals: 8 accidents, 1 fatal accident, 4 fatalities
- The one fatal accident and four fatalities involved a helicopter from the Personal/Private industry sector impacting a recreational slackline (balance line) strung across a valley.
- For the second consecutive month, a helicopter-to-helicopter midair collision occurred. The event was non-fatal for occupants in both a/c. Both were flying in support of a wildlife capture survey (Aerial Observation industry sector).
- The Personal/Private industry sector and Aerial Observation industry sector each accounted for 38% of the total accidents during the month (each with 3 of the 8 accidents).
FY26 Summary
FY26 Totals: 21 accidents, 7 fatal accidents, 13 fatalities
Accidents (including both fatal & non-fatal accidents):
- The FY26 estimated accident rate for Oct-Jan was 2.31 per 100K hours (13% lower than the same period in FY25 and 30% lower than the 5-year average for the same period).
- Distribution of accidents by Operating Part so far in FY26:
- Part 91 – 76%, Part 133 – 5%, Part 135 – 14%, Part 137 – 5%.
- The 21 accidents in FY26 have occurred in seven different industry sectors. The top three percentages through Jan were: 1) Personal/Private: 38%, 2) Helicopter Air Ambulance: 19%, 3) Aerial Observation: 14%
Fatal Accidents:
- The FY26 estimated fatal accident rate for Oct-Jan was 0.77 per 100K hours (12% higher than the same period in FY25 and 22% higher than the 5-year average for the same period).
- Distribution of fatal accidents by Operating Part so far in FY26:
- Part 91 – 71%, Part 133 – 0%, Part 135 – 29%, Part 137 – 0%.
- The 7 fatal accidents in FY26 have occurred in the following three industry sectors: 1) Personal/Private: 57%, 2) Helicopter Air Ambulance: 29%, 3) Utilities Patrol/Construction: 14%
Fatalities:
- The FY26 estimated fatality rate for Oct-Jan was 1.43 per 100K hours (17% lower than the same period in FY25 and 21% higher than the 5-year average for the same period).
- Through 4 months, 33% of the rotorcraft accidents in FY26 had a fatality (long term historical percentage is 17-18%).
- Distribution of fatalities by Operating Part so far for FY26:
- Part 91 – 85%, Part 133 – 0%, Part 135 – 15%, Part 137 – 0%.
U.S. 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.
| 14 CFR Part | Baseline, CY2018-2022 (per 100K hours) | Goal, CY2025-2029 (per 100K hours) | Progress, CY2022-2026 (per 100K hours) |
| 91 | 0.81 | 0.73 (10% reduction) | 0.5 |
| 133 | 1.73 | 1.56 (10% reduction) | 0.72 |
| 135 | 0.33 | 0.17 (50% reduction) | 0.41 |
| 137 | 1.11 | 1.00 (10% reduction) | 1.24 |
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)
COPTER Instrument Flight Procedures & Flight Plan Filing
IFR helicopter operators have long struggled to file instrument flight plans through EFB systems that include COPTER Departures and low-altitude ZK Routes, due to Specials not being contained in the 28-Day NASR file used by EFBs. The FAA was unable to implement this important tool at the January deadline. The USHST is focused on its successful implementation and will continue working with FAA leadership to see this through.
The HUGHES App – FREE
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
UPDATE! VFR Prediction Tool
We’ve enhanced the VFR Prediction Tool to make preflight planning more complete and intuitive. The tool now searches for NOTAMs along your route of flight, including those assigned to aerodromes you may pass near — not just your departure and destination airports.
You can now enter a latitude/longitude in addition to an airport or heliport identifier for more precise planning. We’ve also added the ability to draw your route directly on the map, which is especially helpful when planning local flights, sightseeing, patrol patterns, or training circuits
USHST Foundation – Peer Pilot Menal Health Program the USHST PPP is an all-volunteer peer-based program where a helicopter pilot dealing with a personal or professional issue can speak with an industry peer volunteer, regarding a non-life-threatening mental well-being concern in their lives. The volunteers are experienced colleagues who share and understand the helicopter profession, identifying with the pressures and risks both real and perceived that both helicopter pilots and crew encounter. Completely confidential.
The program is at no cost to USHST members, does not involve the FAA, your medical or your employer. NO Cost, NO Risk and NO Judgement. You can go directly to the USHST Peer Pilot Program Website – https://www.ushstpeer.org/ or reach us from the USHST.org webpage or thorough the Hughes App.
The FAA Rotorcraft Collective
The USHST and the FAA’s Rotorcraft Collective have been working on new videos to enhance helicopter safety. The most recent instalment – Flying in the Unforgiving Wire Environment, featuring VAI Senior Director of Safety, Chris Hill.
Helicopter Safety Enhancements or HS-Es – A Summary Report can be found here https://ushst.org/h-se-details/
HS-Es 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.