The Helicopter Association International (HAI) believes the NTSB’s recent call to mandate data, voice, and video recorders in new turbine helicopters is too narrow and should be installed in all new helicopters, not just those with turbine power. In a statement released Thursday, HAI said the agency’s recommendation leaves out the “more than one-third of the US fleet that uses piston engines."
It added, "This focus on turbine aircraft seems unsupported by data showing no measurable safety difference between turbine and piston aircraft.” HAI said the devices, used as part of a flight data management (FDM) program, could likely provide operators “with the tools to reduce accidents and improve overall industry safety.”
According to HAI, it is adding FDM and other NTSB recommendations to its Accreditation Program of Safety that encourages operators to fly to a higher standard. Citing data from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), HAI noted that FDM was a valuable strategy to reduce the top-three causes of fatal helicopter accidents: loss of control in flight (LOC-I), unintended instrument meteorological conditions, and low-altitude operations. FDM is also useful to monitor aircraft and engine performance, detect and correct procedural noncompliance by flight crews, and preserve more data relevant to accident investigations, HAI said.