LiveATC Discussion Forums
Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: kyle172 on October 17, 2008, 01:18:18 AM
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Has anyone noticed in the last two years that there has been a climbing rate of helicopter crashes, :| Mostly News or Med Vac flights
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Most likely an increase in the number of these types of flights nationwide and the percentage, which may remain the same year over year, results in an increase of the raw number of fatal accidents.
If you are really interested in this headline I would encourage you to look beyond the sensationalistic stories of the typical news outlet and find the meaningful data that is accident rate per hours flown per year (this is normally the "barometer" of aviation accident rate, not just the raw number of crashes). This ratio will provide you a true picture of whether there is an increase in accident percentages based on total flights or just an increase in total flights.
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The NTSB will be holding a special hearing next year on this very subject.
There have been 11 fatal crashes this year, 6 involving Medical flights.
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Although the more frequent use of Medivacs will increase the potential for more accidents, there is also the possibility that the increase in numbers of mishaps may be driven by business motivations and pilot skill/decisions.
Case in point: Local Lifeflight departs in IFR conditions from helipad 5 miles east of airport, flys southwest and crosses through the final for airport's runway while air carrier on ILS in IMC conditions, misses AC by x miles, and calls for his IFR clearance.
Same company, different time, receives IFR clearance and release which locks up airport's IFR traffic due runway configuration. No void time given. After 20 minutes, pilot is asked his status and he advises he is hovering to burn off fuel and needs to do so for another 20 minutes.
S c, d t, practice ILS appchs during home game for football team with traffic rate at 35-40 arrivals per hour! Requested pilot discontinue appchs for time being, he declined and wanted to resume. Helicopter on final doing 70kts with corp jet following at 180kts.
Investigative report from last year leaned towards business decisions that were financially driven...
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>... I would encourage you to look beyond the sensationalistic stories of the >typical news outlet and find the meaningful data that is accident rate per >hours flown per year
I could not agree more, Peter. I don't have any stats, but one has to ask how many helicopters fly each and every day without incident?
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As a police officer, I wonder how much fatigue has to do with some of these crashes? We're on 12 hour shifts and come the end of the work day, you can really feel it.
Now take these pilots; they're probably 'housed' in some trailer or other such facility at the helipad or airport, maybe for a 24-hour shift. Being on ready alert, they may not sleep very well (if at all). That's why I couldn't be a fireman (go to sleep just so someone can wake you up. No thanks). I'd be interested how this all pans out.