Recommendation for helicopter safety improvement issued

Two of the 10 items on the list would affect the rotorcraft industry:

• From the NTSB Office of Aviation Safety, the recommendation is to ‘require and verify the effectiveness of Safety Management Systems (SMS) in all revenue passenger-carrying aviation operations’
• From the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering, the recommendation is to ‘install crash-resistant recorders and establish flight data monitoring (FDM) programs’

“Helicopter Association International (HAI) is grateful to the directors and staff of the NTSB for their continued efforts to improve US transportation safety,” said James Viola, President and CEO of HAI. “We agree and support their recommendation to require SMS programs for all passenger-carrying operations and encourage the use of recorders and FDM programs.”

A development of personal and corporate safety culture

HAI has adopted a 360-degree approach to safety that includes development of a personal and corporate safety culture, the appropriate use of technology, and lifelong training.

“HAI strongly recommends that all aviation operations, not just those that carry passengers for hire, adopt an SMS program,” added Viola.  “An SMS provides a structured, ongoing process to improve operational safety and is endorsed by aviation regulators and safety organizations around the world as the best way to systematically manage aviation risk.”

Continual training for all pilots

To further reduce accidents in the vertical take-off and landing industry, HAI again points to the value of continual training for all pilots, starting at the earliest stages of their careers. “For pilots, the development of a personal safety culture must begin on the first day of flight school and never stop,” Viola said. “Throughout their careers, pilots need recurrent training to ensure they remain current, competent, and confident in their ability to execute standard and emergency procedures, able to bring every flight in for a safe landing.”

Recently, the US Helicopter Safety Team has developed a new Recommended Practices document focusing on ‘Spatial Disorientation Induced by a Degraded Visual Environment’ and offering training and decision-making solutions.

Two of the 10 items on the list would affect the rotorcraft industry:

• From the NTSB Office of Aviation Safety, the recommendation is to ‘require and verify the effectiveness of Safety Management Systems (SMS) in all revenue passenger-carrying aviation operations’
• From the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering, the recommendation is to ‘install crash-resistant recorders and establish flight data monitoring (FDM) programs’

“Helicopter Association International (HAI) is grateful to the directors and staff of the NTSB for their continued efforts to improve US transportation safety,” said James Viola, President and CEO of HAI. “We agree and support their recommendation to require SMS programs for all passenger-carrying operations and encourage the use of recorders and FDM programs.”

A development of personal and corporate safety culture

HAI has adopted a 360-degree approach to safety that includes development of a personal and corporate safety culture, the appropriate use of technology, and lifelong training.

“HAI strongly recommends that all aviation operations, not just those that carry passengers for hire, adopt an SMS program,” added Viola.  “An SMS provides a structured, ongoing process to improve operational safety and is endorsed by aviation regulators and safety organizations around the world as the best way to systematically manage aviation risk.”

Continual training for all pilots

To further reduce accidents in the vertical take-off and landing industry, HAI again points to the value of continual training for all pilots, starting at the earliest stages of their careers. “For pilots, the development of a personal safety culture must begin on the first day of flight school and never stop,” Viola said. “Throughout their careers, pilots need recurrent training to ensure they remain current, competent, and confident in their ability to execute standard and emergency procedures, able to bring every flight in for a safe landing.”

Recently, the US Helicopter Safety Team has developed a new Recommended Practices document focusing on ‘Spatial Disorientation Induced by a Degraded Visual Environment’ and offering training and decision-making solutions.