Nall Report: Helicopter Safety Record Mixed

While the number of fixed-wing general aviation accidents has been improving, turbine and piston helicopter accidents have shown more mixed results, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute's 25^th Joseph T. Nall report. The report showed an overall decline in general aviation fatal accidents for 2013—the most recent year where complete sources of accident data are available—but the number of helicopter fatal accidents was up by four, and the number of resulting fatalities was up significantly for both non-commercial and commercial helicopters.

For non-commercial helicopter operations, the total number of accidents improved in 2013, dropping from 127 in 2012 to 105. However, this was still more than that logged in 2010 and 2011. In addition, the sector recorded 20 fatal accidents in 2013 that resulted in a 45-percent increase in fatalities. Overall, the non-commercial helicopter accident rate declined 7 percent, to 7.45 per 100,000 hours, but the fatal accident rate increased to 1.48, the highest level since 2003, according to the Nall report.

Commercial helicopter operations, meanwhile, have logged more accidents in total, year-over-year, for every year since 2009. The 41 commercial helicopter accidents in 2013 was an increase from the 36 in 2012.  Seven fatal commercial helicopter accidents in 2013 resulted in eight fatalities, a 33-percent increase from a year earlier.