On February 20, 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule that requires helicopter operators, especially air ambulances, to institute more stringent flight rules and procedures aboard their aircraft, to improve flight crew communications and training, and mandates that helicopters be equipped with additional on-board safety technology.
The move comes as part of the initiative the FAA began in August of 2004 to reduce the risk of problems and accidents posed to helicopters during ambulance operations. Although accidents declined in the years immediately following their commencement of the program, 2008 became the deadliest year on record producing 5 helicopter ambulance accidents which claimed 21 lives.
The FAA examined helicopter air ambulance accidents from 1991 through 2010 and determined that 62 accidents that claimed 125 lives could have been mitigated by the new rule. While developing the new rule, the FAA also considered 20 commercial accidents from 1991 through 2010 (excluding air ambulances) that resulted in 39 fatalities. They also considered statistics from 2011 through 2013 where a total of seven air ambulance accidents occurred resulting in 19 fatalities and within which an additional seven commercial helicopter accidents claimed 20 lives.
Prior to the rule the FAA worked with operators on risk management training programs during night operations and in deteriorating weather conditions, while promoting greater use of safety equipment such as terrain awareness and warning systems (TWAS), radar altimeters, and night vision goggles (NVGs).
The final rule has mandated that within 60 days of issuance all U.S. helicopter operators, including air ambulances, must use enhanced procedures when flying in challenging weather, at night, or when landing in remote locations, and commands that pilots be tested in order to improve their handling of flat-light, whiteout, and brownout conditions, and on their abilities to recover from inadvertent encounters with inclement weather. The FAA also mandated that within three years helicopter ambulances must use the latest on-board technology and equipment to avoid hazardous terrain and obstacles, and stipulates that they must be outfitted with flight data monitoring systems within four years of the ruling’s issuance.
In addition, the final rule dictates that all Part 135 helicopter operators equip their helicopters with radio altimeters and must use 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) when their helicopters will be operated beyond power-off glide distance from the shore and must make sure to outline higher weather minimums when identifying an alternate airport in a flight plan.
For more information on the FAA’s final rule and helicopter training and equipment requirements, contact Ronce Almond at ralmond@wicks-group.com or (202) 457-7790.