Single pilot på kommersielle flyginger burde forbys slik IFALPA mener

Dark Night Flight Proves FatalThe Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report on the 2011 crash of a Eurocopter AS355F2 cites spatial disorientation as one of the reasons the pilot lost control of the helicopter and crashed into terrain, killing all three people aboard. The helicopter was being operated under visual flight rules in an area east of Lake Eyre in South Australia, the lowest point in the country at 50 feet below sea level. At approximately 7 p.m. local time, the pilot departed an island in the Cooper Creek inlet with two film crew on board for a 30-minute flight to a planned overnight stop. The flight departed after sunset, and although there was no low cloud or rain it was a dark night with no moon. The pilot initially entered the stopover point incorrectly into the helicopter’s GPS, which increased his workload once he recognized his mistake. The helicopter leveled at 1,500 feet and shortly after entered a gentle right turn and began a descent. The turn tightened and the descent rate increased until, 38 seconds after the descent began, the helicopter hit the terrain at high speed and a 90-degree bank angle. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s lack of recent night and instrument experience and the aircraft’s lack of an autopilot.

Dette er den siste av utallige vurderinger av HEMS i USA. Kunne de bare ha tenkt på å ha to flygere......

IG To Review FAA Progress on Emergency Helicopter OpsThe Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General (IG) this week will begin an audit of the FAA’s progress at reducing the fatal accident rate of helicopters operating as emergency medical service (HEMS) transports. The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 required the FAA to take specific actions to reduce the HEMS accident rate, including short-term safety initiatives to promote the use of advanced technology, such as night vision equipment. The FAA issued a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) in 2009 to address the industry issues. That NPRM was a direct result of a series of eight fatal accidents in 2008 that took 29 lives. Since the issuance of the NPRM, no further action has been taken. On April 12 this year Rick Larsen (D. Wash.), the ranking member of the aviation subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, requested that the IG review the FAA’s progress in improving HEMS safety. Questions about the audit should be directed to the IG’s Jeffrey Guzzetti at (202) 366-0500 or Tina Nysted at (404) 562-3770.