USHST
United States Helicopter Safety Team
Most Helicopter Accidents Occurring in U.S. West and South California and Texas Top the List for Accidents from 2008 to 2013
TOTAL U.S. HELICOPTER ACCIDENTS BY STATE – 2008 THROUGH 2013 1. California
2. Texas 3. Florida 4. Arizona
109 91 65 49
5. Alaska
6. Washington 7. Oregon
8. Louisiana
31 29 27 25
FATAL U.S. HELICOPTER ACCIDENTS BY STATE – 2008 THROUGH 2013 1. Texas
2. California 3. Arizona
4. Louisiana
Half of All Accidents Occur in Just Eight States
From 2008 through 2013 there were 857 civil helicopter accidents in the U.S. The top eight states accounted for 426 of these accidents, or half of the total.
As for accidents that resulted in fatalities, a total of 155 were recorded across the country. Sixty-fi ve of the fatal accidents occurred in the top eight states, or 42 percent of the total. The most prevalent activities being conducted when these fatal accidents occurred in these eight states were: Private Flying (12 fatal accidents), Repositioning/RTB (10 fatal accidents), Passenger/Cargo Flight (9
50 July 2014
16 14 9 6
5. Florida
6. Pennsylvania 7. Alaska
8. Missouri
fatal accidents), Aerial Observation (8 fatal accidents), and Emergency Medical Services (6 fatal accidents). Milder year-round weather in most of these states allows for more helicopter operations and as a consequence, more operations can result in more risk and more accidents.
These states also may
include more residents who have their own private helicopter.
Fatalities During Routine Operations
Regardless of the demographics and geography, there is a troubling trend in the fatal accident data. Many of the activities occurring during the fl ight were very routine and not inherently dangerous. Too
Whether a pilot is planning to fl y across Texas or around Rhode Island, proper preparation and a careful and prudent attitude can be lifesaving actions. The USHST urges pilots to pay special attention to weather and visibility issues and to all possible operational risks, even during the most routine fl ights in sunny California or above the coastline of Florida.
5 5 5 5
many accidents happened during private fl ights, simple repositioning operations, and
during routine aerial observation
fl ights. This highlights the fact that preparation and risk assessments need to be performed for EVERY SINGLE FLIGHT, even the most routine ones.
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