Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-n9wrp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-18T21:55:13.186Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A causal factors analysis of helicopter accidents in New Zealand 1996-2005 and the United Kingdom 1986-2005

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2016

A. Majumdar ,
K. Mak ,
C. Lettington  and
P. Nalder
A. Majumdar
Affiliation:
Centre for Transport Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College, London, UK
K. Mak
Affiliation:
Centre for Transport Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College, London, UK
C. Lettington
Affiliation:
Centre for Transport Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College, London, UK
P. Nalder
Affiliation:
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Helicopter accidents cause many fatalities, and their avoidance is a major area of work for Civil Aviation safety authorities around the World. This paper uses helicopter accident data from the United Kingdom between 1986 and 2005 for 566 accidents and from New Zealand between 1996 and 2006 for 230 accidents to analyse helicopter accidents according to five categories of causes: airworthiness failure (engine); airworthiness failure (non-engine), operational failure, maintenance failure and mixed failure (i.e. operational and airworthiness combined). Factors associated with accidents, e.g. the engine types and weights of the helicopters involved; the nature of the operations and the phase of flight of the helicopter are also analysed. Operational failures were further analysed by Human Factors Analysis and Classification Scheme (HFACS) and airworthiness failures by a logical scheme of helicopter components. The results indicate that operational failures, especially due to unsafe acts, are the major cause of accidents in both countries followed by airworthiness causes. Light single piston helicopters are by far the major group associated with accidents in both countries, with few accidents for twin turbine helicopters. The majority of accidents were in non-public operations with few in public operations and in both countries, the cruise/flight/circuit phase has the largest number of accidents. Further analyses indicated statistically significant associations: type of helicopter and the cause of accidents; type of helicopter and the phase of flight; cause of accidents and nature of flights; cause of accidents and phase of flights; training flights and inadequate supervision; landing and procedural error and cruise and attention failure.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 113 , Issue 1148 , October 2009 , pp. 647 - 660
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2009 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. US Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis Team. Year 2000 report to the International Helicopter Safety Team, September 2007, http://ihst.org/images/stories//usJHSAT2000Report.pdf Google Scholar
2. Sinha, A., Khreish, J., Schauenburg, A. and Repse, B., Analysis of helicopter accidents in Australia (2001-2006), 2007, Presented at the Second International Helicopter Safety Symposium (IHSS 2007), 19-21 September 2007, Montreal, Canada.Google Scholar
3. Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB). General aviation fatal accidents: how do they happen? (A review of general aviation fatal accidents 1991 – 2000), 2004, Aviation Research Paper B2004/0010, Safe Transport.Google Scholar
4. SINTEF Report. Helicopter safety study 2: main report, 2002, SINTEF Industrial Management, Norway.Google Scholar
5. Minter, R.G. and Irving, P.E., An analysis of accidents involving UK civil registered helicopters during the period 1976-1995, 1996 European Rotorcraft Forum.Google Scholar
6. Fox, R.G., Civil rotorcraft risks, 2002, Bell Helicopter Textron, USA Google Scholar
7. Reason, J., Human Error, 1990, Cambridge University Press, New York.Google Scholar
8. Shappell, S.A. and Wiegmann, D.A., The human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS), 2000, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Medicine Report DOT/FAA/AM-00/7, Office of Aviation Medicine, Washington, DC,Google Scholar
9. Wiegmann, D.A. and Shappell, S.A., Human error analysis of commercial aviation accidents: application of the human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS), Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 72, pp 1006–16.Google Scholar
10. Gaur, D., (2005) Human factors analysis and classification system applied to civil aircraft accidents in India, Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine, 2001, 76, (5), pp 501–505.Google Scholar
11. Wiegmann, D.A et al. Human error and general aviation accidents: a comprehensive, fine-grained analysis using HFACS, 2005, Aviation Human Factors Division.Google Scholar
12. Wiegmann, D.A. and Shappell, S.A., Human error analysis of commercial aviation accidents: application of the human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS), Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 2001, 72, pp 1006–16.Google Scholar
12. Schmidt, J.K., Lawson, D. and Figlock, R., Human factors analysis & classification system-maintenance extension (HFACS-ME), Review of select NTSB maintenance mishaps: an update, NTSB. www.hf.faa.gov/opsmanual/assets/pdfs/HFACS-ME.pdf.Google Scholar
13. Clifford, W.S., Helicopter crashworthiness. Study I: A review of UK military and world civil helicopter water impacts over the period 1971-1992, 1996, CAA Paper 96005, Civil Aviation Authority.Google Scholar
14. Agresti, A., An Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis, 1996, Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics, John Wiley & Sons, New York.Google Scholar
15. Taber, M. and McCabe, J., Helicopter ditching: time of crash and survivability, SAFE J, 2006, 34, (1), pp 5–10.Google Scholar
16. European Helicopter Safety Analysis Team. Preliminary results of helicopter accident analysis, 2008, Originally presented at the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) Conference, 13 October 2008, Cascais, Portugal.Google Scholar