by EHSAT co-chair Michel Masson, EASA,

 IHSS 2011 – A Successful Event

The theme of this year’s edition was “Human Factors: Our Collective Challenge – Our Individual Responsibility.”

“More than 200 professionals from helicopter companies, associations, and government agencies in 21 countries gathered in Fort Worth, Texas, for the 5^th annual International Helicopter Safety Symposium.  They left the Lone Star State with a renewed optimism about safety successes, along with a recognition that much more work needs to be accomplished in order to reach the helicopter community’s 2016 safety goal. Stronger outreach efforts to general aviation pilots, instructors and mechanics; a continued push for additional participating countries worldwide; and a persistent focus on creating safety cultures were repeating themes throughout the two-day conference.” More on www.ihst.org.

The EHEST 2011 update was presented by Stefan Becker, EHAC, EHSIT Representative; John Steel, Irish Aviation Authority, EHSIT co-Chair; Gilles Bruniaux, Eurocopter, EHEST and EHSIT co-Chair and Duncan Trapp, CHC Helicopter, EHEST Communication Leader. All presentations are published online.

EASA Rotorcraft Symposium 2011, 7-8 Dec, Cologne, Germany

The 5^th edition of the now famous EASA Rotorcraft Symposium was successfully organised, like for all previous editions, by the EASA Certification Directorate.

A presentation entitled “The EHEST 2011 Achievements and Plans” was given by John Black, EHOC, EHEST co-Chair; Michel Masson, EASA, EHSAT co-Chair and EHEST Secretary; Gilles Bruniaux, Eurocopter, EHEST and EHSIT co-Chair; Stefan Becker, EHAC, EHSIT Representative, and John Steel, Irish Aviation Authority, EHSIT co-Chair.

This presentation provided an update on the EHEST initiative, its objective, composition, deliverables, plans and challenges. In its conclusive remarks it highlighted the importance of reaching the small operators and General Aviation community and of reinforcing cooperation under the IHST umbrella to progress towards the aggressive goal to reduce helicopter accident rates by 80% by 2016 set by IHST.

The presenters highlighted in particular the continuous enrichment of the EHEST Safety Safety Promotion and Training website with the publication of new Safety Leaflets and videos and the publication of previously released material, including the 2010 EHEST Report of 2000-2005 helicopter Accidents, in German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Russian. In addition, the Leaflet Safety Considerations will soon be available in Chinese, too. The Leaflets Helicopter Airmanship and Off Airfield Landing Site were distributed with the Symposium documentation.

On the SMS front, EHEST announced the publication of a helicopter compatible version of IS-BAO by IBAC for early 2012 and the publication of an EHEST SMS Manual for medium size operators featuring standard lists of hazards, a Risk Assessment method and a pre-flight Risk Management Check List for the beginning of 2012.

More information on the initiative can be found in the presentation itself, published, together will all other presentations, in the EASA Rotorcraft Symposium 2011 mini-site accessible from the EASA Events page.

European Helicopter Safety Implementation Team (EHSIT) meeting of 7-8 June

The EHSIT processes the accident data analysed by the EHSAT to develop, implement and monitor safety enhancement action plans. The EHSIT is composed of five Specialist Teams (STs) on Training, on Operations & SMS, on Regulation, on Maintenance, and on Technology.

Update from the EHSIT Specialist Team on Training

The work plan has changed slightly and the team is preparing to have the following material ready for IHSS 2011:

5 Leaflets on helicopter airmanship, risk assessment in training, off airfields landing site, rotor RPM management and autorotation, and planning and decision making

2 videos on helicopter passenger management and on helicopter mission preparation including off airfield landing.

A webpage for the publication of the training deliverables is in development and the entire EHEST website will soon be revamped.

Update from the EHSIT Specialist Team on Ops & SMS

The team was tasked to launch the development of a European Helicopter SMS Manual on the basis of the EASA Opinion OPS (Implementing Rules and Acceptable Means of Compliance) recently published on the EASA website. This EASA Opinion pre-figures the future European rules, to be published in April 2012. Ongoing work on the risk assessment tool and on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be completed and the development of other SOPs postponed. The development of the SMS Manual is considered a priority.

Update from the EHSIT Specialist Team on Regulation

The team is revisiting the Intervention Recommendations (IRs) coming from EHSAT work for using the pre-Regulatory Impact Assessment (pre-RIA) methodology published by EASA. New grouping was produced for the IRs: Aircraft Data Recording & Analysis; Inadvertent Entry into DVE; Authority Oversight; Equipment Requirements; Ditching, Water Impact & Survivability; Helicopter Stability and Handling Qualities; ADELT; Airworthiness Procedures & Documentation; Intervention Times; Radio Altimeter Provision; and Wire Strike Protection. Pre-RIA will allow assessing the priority of the associated tasks.

Update from the EHSIT Specialist Team on Maintenance

This team was formed to develop a Maintenance Toolkit to complete the IHST Toolkits series. The document is now available on the IHST and EHEST websites.

Update from the EHSIT Specialist Team on Technology

Design and technology don’t rate high on the list of safety issues identified by the EHSAT. But technology can be a powerful means to improve safety as it brings solutions to known safety problems, including of operational nature. EHSIT ST Technology assesses the benefit of new technologies on mitigating safety issues. Technologies include for example predictive ground collision avoidance using digital terrain referenced navigation, light Helicopter HOMP systems, deployable system for crash–load attenuation, and integration of RFID technologies in helicopter maintenance processes. Recent developments include drafting a description of work, a technology listing and rating tool and a process manual. ONERA, France has recently joined the team and a paper co-authored by J. Stevens and J. Vreeken, NLR, and M. Masson, EASA, will be presented in ERF 2011.

European Helicopter Safety Analysis Team (EHSAT) meeting of 8 June

Recommendation for free access to safety data by operators

The team discussed extensively freeing access to safety data for operators. EHSAT commented on the development of the European Central Repository (ECR) and proposed to use the European Aviation Safety Plan (EASp) instrument to make the following recommendation: “Operators need free access to safety data to implement the safety management principles effectively. The European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) recommends that data be collected, appropriately protected, and made freely available to the community. Data and/or aggregated information derived from the data will inform operators and help them address their safety management obligations and safety needs.”

EHSAT database and proposal for monitoring of accidents

M. van Hijum, EASA presented a proposal to monitor European helicopter accidents data. The current EHSAT data could be supplemented with accident classification information using the CICTT taxonomy. The advantage would be to use an international standard and to create a link with the EASA Annual Safety Review (2010 edition published on 28 June). A group was created for this purpose.

European representation on the JHIMDAT

Beside, M. van Hijum has been appointed as EHEST representative on the Joint Helicopter Implementation and Data Analysis Team (JHIMDAT), recently created at IHST level. Operating on the US CAST JIMDAT model, the JHIMDAT will centralise, consolidate and analyse exposure and accident data for monitoring progress towards achieving the IHST objective of 80% reduction of accident rate worldwide by 2016.

European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) meeting of 8 June

The EHEST is the plenary body fixing strategic orientations, approving plans, and making decisions. Reports on the progress of EHSAT and EHSIT were provided. The work programs of the different teams were reviewed and approved.

In particular, the EHEST approved the recommendation of EHSAT to provide free access to safety data for the operators for safety management purposes.

The EHEST also approved development by the EHSIT of a European Helicopter SMS Toolkit, while continuing participation in the development of a helicopter compatible version of IS-BAO by IBAC.

The EHEST also endorsed the recommendation made by the EHSIT to foster organisation of helicopter safety events in all European States.

Finally, the team recognised the need to improve estimates of flight hours and accident rate data in Europe and worldwide. In the United States, the FAA has contracted MITRE to produce such estimates together with the major manufacturers. Data will feed the JHIMDAT work. The EHEST follows up these developments and contributes to the effort through the participation of European manufacturers.

EHEST participation in IHSS 2011

The planning is well underway for this major event of 8-9 Nov in Fort Worth, Texas. Along with B. Sheffield, Shell Aircraft, D. Trapp, CHC Helicopter represents the views of EHEST on the Programme Committee. The theme of this edition is “Human Factors: Our Collective Challenge – Our Individual Responsibility.” EHEST contribution was discussed and presenters were suggested. The preliminary agenda and online registration will be available shortly on www.ihst.org.

Conferences

European Rotorcraft Forum (ERF) 2011, 13-15 Sep, Cascina Costa, Italy

IHSS 2011, 8-9 Nov in Forth Worth, TX, USA

EASA Rotorcraft Symposium 2011, 7-8 Dec, Cologne, Germany

For further information please contact: EHEST@easa.europa.eu

by EHSAT co-chair Michel Masson, EASA, Clément Audard, EASA, and EHEST Communication SG Leader Duncan Trapp, CHC Helicopter