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| Norfolk helicopter crash raises more questions over safety | Norfolk helicopter crash raises more questions over safety |
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| The crash in Gillingham, Norfolk, that killed Lord Ballyedmond and three other unnamed men is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents that have led to questions over helicopter safety. | The crash in Gillingham, Norfolk, that killed Lord Ballyedmond and three other unnamed men is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents that have led to questions over helicopter safety. |
| The aircraft was one of the newest models from Augusta Westland, a VIP luxury helicopter, the AW139, with a very high degree of automation once in flight. In this incident, while AAIB investigators are yet to issue any statement, the foggy conditions will be strongly suspected to have played a part. | The aircraft was one of the newest models from Augusta Westland, a VIP luxury helicopter, the AW139, with a very high degree of automation once in flight. In this incident, while AAIB investigators are yet to issue any statement, the foggy conditions will be strongly suspected to have played a part. |
| Statistical comparisons with other modes of transport indicate that helicopters are more dangerous than planes. But the comparison needs to be approached with caution. Helicopters are often used specifically to do the kind of flights that a plane cannot and in riskier environments – for example nearer the ground and nearer obstacles. They are also often used when people, from wealthy businessmen to search-and-rescue teams, want to get somewhere in a hurry. | Statistical comparisons with other modes of transport indicate that helicopters are more dangerous than planes. But the comparison needs to be approached with caution. Helicopters are often used specifically to do the kind of flights that a plane cannot and in riskier environments – for example nearer the ground and nearer obstacles. They are also often used when people, from wealthy businessmen to search-and-rescue teams, want to get somewhere in a hurry. |
| Takeoff and landing, as with planes, remain the riskiest part of flight. And for helicopters, getting off the ground and landing frequently has to be conducted in places where there is none of the support network – such as controllers or runways – that planes have. | Takeoff and landing, as with planes, remain the riskiest part of flight. And for helicopters, getting off the ground and landing frequently has to be conducted in places where there is none of the support network – such as controllers or runways – that planes have. |
| Also, while helicopter safety has come under intense scrutiny recently, the newsworthiness of crashes is some testament to their comparative rarity: the Vauxhall crash in January 2013, when an Augusta 109 flew into a crane on the construction site of a residential skyscraper by the Thames, was the first helicopter accident recorded in London. | |
| But a number of accidents in recent months – the RAF Pave Hawk that also crashed in Norfolk in January, and the tragedy in November when 10 people died after a helicopter crashed for unexplained reasons into a Glasgow pub – have renewed concern. | But a number of accidents in recent months – the RAF Pave Hawk that also crashed in Norfolk in January, and the tragedy in November when 10 people died after a helicopter crashed for unexplained reasons into a Glasgow pub – have renewed concern. |
| Most scrutiny has been applied to the North Sea, where two fatal crashes and a series of ditchings in the past five years have prompted full reviews of safety procedures. The Commons transport select committee is conducting an ongoing inquiry into the helicopters used to transport oil and gas workers to rigs. In February the Civil Aviation Authority issued a series of tighter safety requirements for North Sea helicopters. | Most scrutiny has been applied to the North Sea, where two fatal crashes and a series of ditchings in the past five years have prompted full reviews of safety procedures. The Commons transport select committee is conducting an ongoing inquiry into the helicopters used to transport oil and gas workers to rigs. In February the Civil Aviation Authority issued a series of tighter safety requirements for North Sea helicopters. |