HeliHub.com provides news via Google Buzz for GMail users
Source: HeliHub.com, 10 Mar, 10
As part of the continued expansion of HeliHub.com, all of our news articles are now available on the Google Buzz platform. Seen initially as a cross between Facebook and Twitter, Buzz is fast carving out its own niche in the social networking world. Google’s launch of Buzz was not without its controversy, but has now [...]
AgustaWestland summoned to explain AW119 crash which injured Ugandan President
Source: Daily Monitor, 10 Mar, 10
HeliHub.com accident report – click here 07-Mar-10 5X-MAC AgustaWestland AW119 Bugiri, Uganda
HAI Releases New Wire Strike Safety Awareness Video Online
Source: HAI, 10 Mar, 10
Helicopter Association International (HAI) has released a new, online aviation wire strike safety awareness video. “Surviving the Wires Environment” is posted as a streaming video on the HAI Web site, and can be viewed for free by HAI members and nonmembers. The video was produced in cooperation with Southern California Edison (SCE) and AEGIS Insurance [...]
North Sea Helicopter Traffic Safety Improves with Sensis Wide Area Multilateration
Source: Sensis, 10 Mar, 10
NATS Services is now using Sensis Corporation’s Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) system in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland for helicopter flight following. Air traffic controllers are using the WAM surveillance information as a supplement to established procedural flight rules until the WAM system completes testing and regulatory approval for flight information services later this [...]
NTSB: AS350 design contributed to fatal April 2008 crash
Source: KTUU, 4 Mar, 10
Floor-mounted fuel controls on a helicopter that crashed in 2008 near Chickaloon, killing four people and injuring one, contributed to the accident according to a NTSB report released Wednesday
GCAA hosts meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council Helicopter Safety Team
Source: Emirates News Agency, 3 Mar, 10
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) hosted a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council Helicopter Safety Team (GCCHST), attended by all helicopter operators in UAE, Qatar and KSA.
HeliHub.com adds gallery on Flickr for website user photos
Source: HeliHub.com, 3 Mar, 10
HeliHub.com continues its expansion with the addition of a gallery on the popular image bank website Flickr.com
The Flickr gallery provides users of HeliHub.com the opportunity to upload their own photos, and over time this will become a very valuable resource. In time, HeliHub.com will utilise this gallery to provide imagery on the website itself to [...]
Bursary and scholarship program established to remember Cougar Flight 491
Source: News 880AM, 2 Mar, 10
A scholarship and bursary program has been established in the memory of the 17 victims of the crash of Cougar Flight 491 off Newfoundland last year.
Bristow urged to improve training after crash
Source: Evening Express, 27 Feb, 10
Accident investigators have now made several recommendations for Bristow Helicopters, which is based at Aberdeen Airport. The incident on November 21, 2006, happened near the Dutch port of Den Helder
Paramedic to sue over helicopter fall
Source: Cairns.com.au, 24 Feb, 10
A paramedic who may never walk again after a helicopter winch line snapped during a Torres Strait rescue is launching legal action over the accident.
Eurocopter – Applying innovation for increased flight safety and more eco-friendly helicopters
Source: American Eurocopter, 24 Feb, 10
The Heli-Expo 2010 trade show is spotlighting a range of innovations that will help keep American Eurocopter at the forefront of the U.S. rotary-wing marketplace with helicopters that are even safer and more environmentally friendly.
Technologies displayed at Heli-Expo 2010 by parent company Eurocopter (stand #3128) include revolutionary main rotor blade designs that reduce noise and [...]
AgustaWestland retools tail boom for retrofit on AW139
Source: AIN, 24 Feb, 10
AgustaWestland is assuring customers with helicopters on order that it will deliver them with a newly designed boom starting in April.
Pilot fatigue led to fatal mid-air between two R22s
Source: WA Today, 18 Feb, 10
The two Robinson R22s were reported in HeliHub.com here:-
05-May-09 VH-PHT Robinson R22 Springvale station north of Halls Creek, Australia (1F)
05-May-09 VH-HCB Robinson R22 Springvale station north of Halls Creek, Australia (1F)
Blade Separation Preceded EC135 Crash
Source: AIN, 18 Feb, 10
Incident referred to reported in HeliHub.com here 14-Feb-10 N127TS Eurocopter EC135 Cave Creek, US-Arizona (5F)
Virginia State Police pilot nominated in All-Star contest
Source: America's Most Wanted, 17 Feb, 10
This follows an incident where Aviation Sergeant Don Childs safely landed his Bell 407 after being shot seven times (see HeliHub.com accident report)
Newfoundland oil firms ordered to have rescue helicopter available
Source: Chronicle Herald, 14 Feb, 10
The regulators of Newfoundland’s oil industry have ordered a faster emergency response after the head of an inquiry into offshore helicopter safety made an urgent call for improvement.
Columbia Helicopters To Clarify Unfounded Allegations Related to Fatal Carson S61 Crash
Source: Columbia Helicopters, 12 Feb, 10
Columbia Helicopters will hold a press/industry briefing at 10:00 AM Monday, February 22, 2010, regarding certain unfounded allegations related to the crash of a Carson Helicopters’ S-61 in 2008. Members of the media and all interested industry personnel are invited to attend.
Columbia Helicopters’ Vice President of Marketing, Todd Petersen, and General Legal Counsel, Tonya Van [...]
Mexico accident rate three times world average – Eurocopter commits to help
Source: La Jornada, 11 Feb, 10
Eurocopter’s Serge Durand said that it is disturbing that while the worldwide helicopter accident rate is 4.5 per 100 thousand flight hours in Mexico is three times greater
Turkey buzzard ends up on lap of R22 pilot
10 Feb, 10
Appleton said. “I didn’t even see the impact. I had lost sight of him and I just heard a loud boom, and then there I am flying with a turkey buzzard sitting on my lap, on top of my forearm.”
Bats raise air ambulance safety concerns
Source: ABC, 9 Feb, 10
A north Queensland mayor wants a bat colony to be moved away from the Charters Towers Hospital due to concerns about the danger to air traffic.