Spate of night time accidents prompts operators to seek ways of improving safety
Australasian helicopter emergency service operators will meet this month to discuss how they can address safety issues that have plagued the sector on night operations in recent years.
The initiative, launched by the Helicopter Association of Australasia (HAA), follows a number of accidents involving emergency helicopter operators on night missions. Four helicopters have crashed in the region on night missions since 2000, resulting in the loss of eight lives, according to HAA.
"Considering the low number of hours flown at night by the 38 search and rescue and emergency service operators in Australia and 12 in New Zealand, the trend is alarming," says Rob Rich, HAA president. He adds that the loss rate in the USA is also showing a marked increase.
In the latest incident a CHC Helicopter Bell 407 crashed into the sea off Queensland at night in October 2003, resulting in the loss of all three crew on board.
"The common factor is that all these flights were operating under night visual rules," says Rich. Although Australia has comprehensive night visual flight regulations, the HAA believes that these need changing, while New Zealand does not have specific rules and relies on the operator's operations manual and training system for risk management.
Instrument flight rules (IFR) operators seem to encounter fewer problems than the night visual operators, says Rich. "We seem to have forgotten the lesson the UK and USA learned several decades ago - that night visual-only capable helicopters must be crewed by pilots who are IFR trained and current, either by simulated IFR conditions or in a suitable simulator. Night visual flight in marginal weather or over areas with few lights, such as water or the Australian outback, is really an IFR operation," he says.
Operators will look at issues including whether helicopters are properly equipped, weather limits, response times, crew fatigue, crew training, operating procedures and existing regulations. The HAA hopes the initiative will result in new industry standards, with CASA and the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority attending as observers.
The introduction of night vision devices in Australia, which would improve safety, is being held up by the lack of suitable legislation, he says, calling for a joint HAA-CASA team to launch a project.
EMMA KELLY / PERTH
Source: Flight International
