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An Analysis of U.S. Civil Rotorcraft Accidents by Cost and Injury (1990-1996)A study of rotorcraft accidents was conducted to identify safety issues and research areas that might lead to a reduction in rotorcraft accidents and fatalities. The primary source of data was summaries of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports. From 1990 to 1996, the NTSB documented 1396 civil rotorcraft accidents in the United States in which 491 people were killed. The rotorcraft data were compared to airline and general aviation data to determine the relative safety of rotorcraft compared to other segments of the aviation industry. In depth analysis of the rotorcraft data addressed demographics, mission, and operational factors. Rotorcraft were found to have an accident rate about ten times that of commercial airliners and about the same as that of general aviation. The likelihood that an accident would be fatal was about equal for all three classes of operation. The most dramatic division in rotorcraft accidents is between flights flown by private pilots versus professional pilots. Private pilots, flying low cost aircraft in benign environments, have accidents that are due, in large part, to their own errors. Professional pilots, in contrast, are more likely to have accidents that are a result of exacting missions or use of specialized equipment. For both groups judgement error is more likely to lead to a fatal accident than are other types of causes. Several approaches to improving the rotorcraft accident rate are recommended. These mostly address improvement in the training of new pilots and improving the safety awareness of private pilots.
Document ID
20030005105
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Iseler, Laura
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
DeMaio, Joe
(Army Aviation and Missile Command Moffett Field, CA United States)
Rutkowski, Michael
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 2002
Subject Category
Behavioral Sciences
Report/Patent Number
A-00V0027
NASA/TM-2002-209615
NAS 1.15:209615
AFDD/TR-00-A-010
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 812-30-22
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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