Obiwan
31st Dec 2004, 06:59
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11815265%255E23349,00.html
SINGLE-ENGINE helicopter operators may be forced to fit tamper-resistant flying time recorders to their aircraft in a bid to cut the sector's high accident rate.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says a proposal to mandate the devices is being considered after a number of helicopter crashes where wrongly recorded flying time was a factor.
The inaccuracies were due in some cases to incorrect paperwork but in others existing recording devices had not been working properly or had been disconnected. The problem has been linked to operators running aircraft parts past their recommended replacement date and is seen as a factor in rotor blade failures involving a type of helicopter popular in the mustering industry.
"An accurate record of flying hours is vital to maintain the safety of helicopters where the manufacturer sets life-limits on certain components," a CASA spokesman said.
"For example, a main rotor blade may have to be replaced after 200 hours time-in-service." In 2003, single-engine helicopters had the highest accident rate per 100,000 flying hours of any aircraft type and more than twice the fatal accident rate.
The sector suffered 340 accidents in the decade to 2003, 46 of them fatal.
CASA, which is working with the mustering industry on options to address the flying time issue, estimates the devices would cost $5000 to buy and install, with a total cost to the industry of $3.25 million.
The regulator has published a discussion paper on the issue and called for comments by February 25.
SINGLE-ENGINE helicopter operators may be forced to fit tamper-resistant flying time recorders to their aircraft in a bid to cut the sector's high accident rate.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says a proposal to mandate the devices is being considered after a number of helicopter crashes where wrongly recorded flying time was a factor.
The inaccuracies were due in some cases to incorrect paperwork but in others existing recording devices had not been working properly or had been disconnected. The problem has been linked to operators running aircraft parts past their recommended replacement date and is seen as a factor in rotor blade failures involving a type of helicopter popular in the mustering industry.
"An accurate record of flying hours is vital to maintain the safety of helicopters where the manufacturer sets life-limits on certain components," a CASA spokesman said.
"For example, a main rotor blade may have to be replaced after 200 hours time-in-service." In 2003, single-engine helicopters had the highest accident rate per 100,000 flying hours of any aircraft type and more than twice the fatal accident rate.
The sector suffered 340 accidents in the decade to 2003, 46 of them fatal.
CASA, which is working with the mustering industry on options to address the flying time issue, estimates the devices would cost $5000 to buy and install, with a total cost to the industry of $3.25 million.
The regulator has published a discussion paper on the issue and called for comments by February 25.