Synthetic Vision for HEMS

[fly911]

With the recent rash of HEMS accidents, I reflect on my seven years (1997-2003) an an HEMS pilot that has gone inadvertant IMC three times, all at night. Many of the accidents we read about involves loss of control when instrument Meteorological Conditions are encountered. I have long been of the opinion that a simple VFR autopilot would prevent many of these accidents. With the recent advancements in electronic navigation, new possibilities arise with more frequency. I feel that synthetic vision systems may also be instrumental in avoiding pilot disorientation when first entering IMC. Having never flown this new technology, I would like to hear the opinions of other pilots on this issue.
Universal Avionics -- Product Information -- Vision-1® (http://bit.ly/Y5q0FO)

[[email protected]]

Providing your database is 100% accurate and regularly updated as buildings, wires, masts, windfarms and cranes are erected and providing your GPS is 100% accurate - it may be of some assistance.

Would NVG have helped prevent your IIMC at night better than a computer program?

Avoiding disorientation is a function of regular practice IMC and a good IF scan.

[spinwing]

Mmmmm ...

......Avoiding disorientation is a function of regular practice IMC and a good IF scan......

ABSOBLOODYLUTELY .... Hear Hear !!!!

[heliski22]

When I got my Instrument Rating years ago, an old friend mailed me and said..."Congratulations on becoming a REAL pilot! Of course, now that you're a REAL pilot, you can get into REAL trouble, REAL fast!"

Never having worked in circumstances where such an extra "edge", as it were, might make a difference, I offer an observation with caution.

Surely, the key issue remains deciding when to go or not to go rather than depending further on systems which will leave you wandering around in the gloop, in the dark, depending entirely on everything being 100%, as Crab noted, and with limited or no options if it isn't?

Near the ground, in poor vis, we ought really to be looking out....

....shouldn't we? :hmm:

22

[SASless]

When you look back at the three IIMC Events....what wisdom did you gather from them after you got your knees to stop shaking? Care to pass on some Lessons Learned?

I like most others here believe in prevention being the best avenue.

Followed by NVG's, followed by a three axis auto pilot that gets used as often as possible.

After that comes being really current and proficient not just legally so.

[fly911]

SASless: Care to pass on some Lessons Learned?


Of course, first set up your instrument scan, catch your breath, ask your flight nurse to remove her nails from the flight paramedic’s thigh and if in cruise flight, maintain straight and level for the moment while mentally cursing your company for not providing NVGs, three axis auto pilot, or allowing you to take the ship out of service long enough to become really current and proficient and not just legally so. Then follow the company’s procedures and Climb, Communicate, confess, and comply. Oh, and make a note to ask the company to please install a synthetic vision system.

[Devil 49]

Over the years I've seen numerous illustrations of "highway in the sky" concept. A display system that provides integrated cues akin to visual flight would be the most natural way to fly in the IFR system.

I wouldn't want to hybridize IFR/VFR procedures and safety margins. "See and avoid" terrain information based on a database would make me extremely uncomfortable. Was there a direct sensor system providing data, radar, whatever, interfaced, would be closer to satisfactory. That system failure would put you in the same box as an overly casual IMC encounter. IMC in the strictest definition, that is- instrument weather conditions that don't meet VMC definitions but still may allow controlled flight to an exit or landing.
That's the key IIMC issue in my experience, being prepared for the weather encounter. Leave room for expected weather to deteroriate: avoid mountains; circumnavigate extensively unlighted areas at night; follow your alternate landing areas en route if you're not prepared to operate IFR.

[fly911]

Most HEMS accidents occur at night. Yes, it's all about choices. When you turn down a flight for weather and then it begins to clear all the way until morning, you think "Why did I do that?" That can just as easily act in reverse, when all indications are that that the wx will improve but then goes in the hopper. But accidents happen when the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. These are the times that I'm talking about. An auto pilot turned on and ready to go on a moments notice still seems to me, the best way to improve the statistics.

[hueyracer]

Guess the situation differs from country to country..but in Europe (and Germany especially), HEMS-pilots do not fly that much.
120-180, maybe 200 hours-that´s the absolute minimum you need to stay current and proficient.

Most of their pilots are ex-military, with a lot of IR-and Night flying experience.
With these experienced pilots retireing soon, they are replaced by (cheaper) civil trained pilots-that do not have the same experience level.

Putting more stuff into a helicopter does not make this situation any safer.
Give the pilots more opportunities to train, give them simulator-training, and let them do some REAL IF-and night flying (just for training)-that is safer than any computer **** you can put in...

[skadi]

but in Europe (and Germany especially), HEMS-pilots do not fly that much.
120-180, maybe 200 hours-that´s the absolute minimum you need to stay current and proficient.

Disagree! The ammount of hours are not so important to stay current. If you fly several missions a day, and thats, what most of the german HEMS-pilots are doing, you do many take off and landings in unprepared locations. So you gain more proficiency than doing hours of straght and level flying.
Just my 50cts

skadi

[hueyracer]

Fair enough-but you are wrong.

I thought the same many years ago-but experience is experience, and can only be replaced by more experience.

[skadi]

@hueyracer
I agree with experience!
But when would you get more experience , flying 1 hour straight and level or doing 5 to 10 takeoffs and landings in unprepared places within 60 minutes???
So the plain number of hours is a little bit irrelevant.

skadi

[hueyracer]

It is not.

You´re right if you only look at 1 hour.
But overall, someone with 2500 hours has more experience, than someone with 500 hours.

[Thomas coupling]

FLY911: I flew HEMS for 13 yrs single pilot and never once went IIMC. I wonder if it forms a part of your industry's make up. Perhaps that's the problem with the USA and HEMS.It's almost certainly one of the primary causes of a lot of your accidents and might suggest a time to review.
In the UK, going IIMC is not something a professional pilot would brag about :=

[RVDT]

"Experience" is only gained by the bits the AP can't do! :p

[fly911]

Thomas Coupling... Brag about? Do you even fly at night? If you feel that talking about something openly that needs to be fixed is braging, then you are part of the problem. I don't consider your attitude a British thing. More like an individual shortcoming. Any pilot can have your IIMC record. Just turn down any flight that involves cloudiness or darkness. Oh, and your walking around with you head up where the sun don't shine doesn't qualify as night flying.

RVDT.... Agreed. We all like to hand fly the machines at our disposal, but maintaining proficiency with an auto pilot is a small price to pay for what it offers in return.

[spinwing]

Mmmm ....

fly911 .... be very careful who and how you attack on this forum ... just because YOU do something over there in the good ol' US of A does not necessarily mean you do it correctly .... :ooh:

.... the US EMS accident record speaks for itself ... trying to justify it does tend to make you look a tad unprofessional. :=

In the meantime ... be careful out there ...

:E

[SASless]

Of course, first set up your instrument scan, catch your breath, ask your flight nurse to remove her nails from the flight paramedic’s thigh and if in cruise flight, maintain straight and level for the moment while mentally cursing your company for not providing NVGs, three axis auto pilot, or allowing you to take the ship out of service long enough to become really current and proficient and not just legally so. Then follow the company’s procedures and Climb, Communicate, confess, and comply. Oh, and make a note to ask the company to please install a synthetic vision system.

OH....I guess with enough IIMC encounters...one can assume that kind of attitude.

I would have thought you would have figured out how to avoid going IIMC after the second event....but then I have been wrong on other things too.

I wonder...are you in the Life Saving business or are you just providing a safe, efficient medical transportation service?

[Adroight]

ask your flight nurse to remove her nails from the flight paramedic’s thigh

Fly911 - you really are leaving yourself wide open for justifiable critique. You seem to think that IIMC is a bit of a giggle.

TC is not the HEMS pilot who has been IIMC 3 times - you are. That is not something to be proud of. If the UK CAA is reluctant to allow single pilot, Night VFR, HEMS operations it is for a very good reason. Perhaps they are aware of the tragic statistics in USA?

Instead of investing in a 'synthetic vision' device which is merely something to cause more distractions for a VFR pilot who should be looking out of the window, why not simply read the local weather report or look outside.

If you think that a 'wings level and climb' response to IIMC is an acceptable way out of IIMC then you might just find yourself at 10,000 feet in cloud and icing conditions with no idea of how to get out of it. A slower way of killing yourself and your crew but just as predictable as descending into a hillside.

Stop being a 'hero' and try making some professional descisions.

[[email protected]]

I wonder...are you in the Life Saving business or are you just providing a safe, efficient medical transportation service? perhaps this is the underlying problem with some HEMS operations - too much belief in the former and not enough focus on the latter!

HEMS is just the provision of a fast ambulance and there is no real excuse for crashing so many of those.

[fly911]

Something to be "proud of"? "Brag" about? No. Just providing background information so that if a conversation ensues, others in the conversation understand my experiences and can feel free to question or provide direction to the conversation. Many don't survive what I experienced. I'd like to help change that. To that end, I welcome all commments.

For those of you defending TC, please re-read his condescending entry.

Adroight, if your CAA doesn't allow night single pilot HEMS, that's fine. In fact that may be where the U.S. winds up. I was just pointing out that if you don't fly at night, where most Inadvertant IMC occurs, it may be more appropriate to join the conversation than criticise from the safety of day VFR only squadroom. "A bit of a giggle"? Maybe, but that was from actual experience and did bring on a chuckle when safely on the ground.

Re: synthetic vision being a distraction to a VFR pilot who should be looking outside, I point out that, like an auto pilot is being considered for emergency inadvertent incounters with IMC. CCCC doesn't mean climb to your service ceiling. It means Climb (to clear obstructions), Communicate (with ATC), Confess (as to your emergency situation) and Comply (with ATC instructions).

SASless, "... are you in the Life Saving business or are you just providing a safe, efficient medical transportation service?" Define a traumatic amputation at an auto accident scene or a twelve year old's 40% burns going to a burn center. Not just interfacility transport, if that's what you are asking.

Spinwing, "the US EMS accident record speaks for itself". Yes. That's why I'm here.

Crab, "there is no real excuse for crashing so many of those." So true. Can you help figure out how we can avoid doing that?

I'm up for answering personal criticsm, but I ask that we avoid criticizing a whole 'nother's country's way of flying. Unless it's constructive criticism.

[Adroight]

Maybe you should be asking yourself why you have been inadvertent IMC on 3 separate occasions at night rather than trying to blame the aircraft, your company or the FAA. The buck stops with you and your decision making.

[[email protected]]

Fly911, I do agree that honestly reporting concerns and incidents is the way forward to understanding how they happen and preventing them from recurring in the future.

However, unless some of those root causes are actually acknowledged and dealt with, the incidents will keep on happening.

Although HEMS threads usually degenerate into a US vs UK battle of who does it best and how - the facts remain that HEMS accidents (especially fatal ones) are pretty much unknown in UK whereas they are common place in the US.

You can cite the disparity of hours flown (the US clearly has far more HEMS aircraft and therefore flying hours) when defending the stats but unless the 'lifesaving' attitude takes second place to the 'safe aviation' attitude, nothing will improve.

If you get a 12 year old with 40% burns or a traumatic amputee into your aircraft and then kill them (and the crew and medics) on the way to hospital, you have achieved nothing.

[hueyracer]

First of all, we should not point fingers here-if someone comes up with something that has happenend to him, we should discuss that topic-not accusing that it has happenend in the first place.

One big difference between the US and the European HEMS service are the pilots AND their attitude.

Many HEMS pilots in Europe are experienced Ex-military pilots..so they are experienced enough to cancel a mission before something goes wrong.

I have met many pilots (from different countries) who were talking about how they were flying with VIS less than 400 m to an accident side, then did a landing, and despite clipping a wire on the way back delivered the patient to the hospital..

THAT is the real problem here: Attitude.
Usually, the policy of the operator (in Europe) is to provide Minimum Meteorological Conditions that need to be forecasted before a flight is allowed to take place.
These conditions are usually so high that-even if the weather deteriorates-the VIS and ceiling will stay high enough for the flight to be continued without any danger...

The question is:
What is your company policy on this?

[SASless]

Something to be "proud of"? "Brag" about? No. Just providing background information so that if a conversation ensues, others in the conversation understand my experiences and can feel free to question or provide direction to the conversation. Many don't survive what I experienced. I'd like to help change that. To that end, I welcome all commments.

Yet you refuse to discuss the three IIMC events you have had, what happened to get you into those situations, and what you have done to avoid them since.

Your silly response about amputations and burns tells me that you embrace the "Life Saving" mindset.....which we all know KILLS Crews and Patients.

Your Mission Statement issued by your employer probably reads...."to provide a safe and efficient medical transportation service..." and then mentions something about the quality of care, the service level, training and certification of the Medical crew.

So thus far, my perception of you is not very favorable. You admit to repeated events of IIMC, you talk of saving lives as your mission, and you point the finger at everyone but yourself.

It is good you seek to improve the situation as any professional should. However, so far you have provoked a USA/UK conversation, refused to discuss what happened in your three IIMC's that you report, and offer no information about the "Lessons Learned" you took away from them.

You want to start over and present a professional review of your experiences with IIMC, Lessons Learned, and suggestions for how to improve the Industry's record for CFIT, IIMC fatal crashes? If so we are all prepared to listen....otherwise you will see a very cold reception here. This isn't Just Helicopters where you must hang out when not here.


Crab,

You offer a false argument. There is very little night HEMES in the UK and there have been Fatal Crash(s) by units that perform them. You do recall a Police helicopter that crashed after aborting a night flight in inclement weather when it attempted to land back at its base which had poor lighting and obstructions.

Remember there are over 800 EMS helicopters in the USA....all of which fly at night. There is a huge difference in scale of operations that must be taken into account.

We have all been around the houses on the USA/UK thing.....so could we all please skip that here this time and stick to the generic IIMC and related issues please.

[Thomas coupling]

fly911 there is no room for complacency in aviation. everyone is entitled to 1 IIMC in their career. There is absolutely no excuse to go IIMC twice and third time -I'd have sacked you from my unit without notice
Don't look for rules or devices to mask or support your inadequacy. God help the unit you work for. you are an accident waiting to happen.

[fly911]

hueyracer "These conditions are usually so high that-even if the weather deteriorates-the VIS and ceiling will stay high enough for the flight to be continued without any danger..." That is an excellent policy and would probably save lives in the U.S. if instituted. Usually here as long as the FAA minimums are observed, the rest is up to the pilot, depending on his/her comfort level.

SASless, ok. one incident involved night flying from one city to another about 100 miles apart without much in between. Both cities were reporting 3000 feet cloud base. About midway we went IIMC crusing at 2000 feet. I began my scan maintaining straight and level since I was relatively familiar with the route of flight. The medcrew notified me that they observed flickering automobile lights below and frequently reminded me to check altitude. We broke out within about a minute as I was about to contact ATC. I thought a lot about how I could have avoided that encounter. Any suggestions?

[[email protected]]

Sas, that is 1 accident total and I think that aircraft was on police not HEMS duties at the time.

There will be more night HEMS in the UK so we will see what happens but the BIG difference is that the operators are not looking to make a profit - they are funded by charities and will have fully instrumented aircraft, autopilots, 2 engines etc etc - in short, all the things that are not mandated in the US.

I know it is an unfair comparison but the USA is the country with an apparently unsolvable problem with HEMS crashes.

[fly911]

Thomas Coupling, your juvenile approach of setting the parameters for everyone else's operation and childish comments about what you would do if I worked for you belies your lack of ability to participate in any intelligent discourse. I'm not sure that you possess the intelligence to supervise other pilots beyond yourself. Please don't expect me to respond to your future postings if they contain more of your psychobabble.

[ShyTorque]

fly911,

SASless, ok. one incident involved night flying from one city to another about 100 miles apart without much in between. Both cities were reporting 3000 feet cloud base. About midway we went IIMC crusing at 2000 feet. I began my scan maintaining straight and level since I was relatively familiar with the route of flight. The medcrew notified me that they observed flickering automobile lights below and frequently reminded me to check altitude. We broke out within about a minute as I was about to contact ATC. I thought a lot about how I could have avoided that encounter. Any suggestions?

If that was the most memorable and worrying of your IIMC encounters, it immediately highlights the problem. What you describe is a total non-event in a properly equipped IFR aircraft flown by an appropriately IR trained, rated, experienced and current pilot.

From all the arguments I've seen on this forum, and elsewhere, the USA is years behind Europe in this respect (and how they hate anyone pointing it out, which is unavoidable in these discussions). If you try to do a job where IMC is likely, with a VMC budget, sooner or later you'll have IMC related accidents, especially if it's a competitive market. It doesn't matter where you're going, who you're carrying or what you're trying to achieve.

[Shawn Coyle]

Just to add fuel to the fire -
Unless you're over a built-up area with lots of lighting, there is no such things as VFR at night. You should treat it as IMC (or IFR, if you want to be picky).
The logic is that you need to be able to orient the aircraft's attitude and height with respect to the ground (or water), and at night, you just can't do that.
Plus, you can't see the bad weather coming until it's too late....

[Devil 49]

Thomas Coupling said:
"fly911 there is no room for complacency in aviation. everyone is entitled to 1 IIMC in their career. There is absolutely no excuse to go IIMC twice and third time -I'd have sacked you from my unit without notice
Don't look for rules or devices to mask or support your inadequacy. God help the unit you work for. you are an accident waiting to happen."

The statement of "1 IIMC per career, etc." can't pass unremarked. It is false, arrogance or ignorance, but in any way, it is wrong.

[Devil 49]

One can indeed fly VFR at night completely without cultural lighting. There is no challenge for a sound pilot to do so with adequate visibility and celestial lighting. Period.
One should be properly trained to do this, it is not the same physiologically as day VFR flight. One should also carefully factor in meteorological considerations, weather processes manifest differently at night. But, if there is no weather to "see", it can not be a factor.

[SASless]

Read your Part 135 lately?

Better check your OpSpecs as well.

I do believe you find surface lighting to be a requirement.


§ 135.207 VFR: Helicopter surface reference requirements.
No person may operate a helicopter under VFR unless that person has visual surface reference or, at night, visual surface light reference, sufficient to safely control the helicopter.

That is different from Part 91....and way too many EMS Pilots violate that Regulation. In many parts of the Country...it rules out Night VFR as there are no surface lights.

Do you comply with that Regulation?

When using NVG's....is there a Waiver so Surface Lights are not required?

[RVDT]

The conundrum of legality and safety. Some think they go together. :ugh:

Your NAA covers legality - safety is your problem.

[krypton_john]

SASless, does a view of the horizon count as a view of the surface?

[John Eacott]

§ 135.207 VFR: Helicopter surface reference requirements.
No person may operate a helicopter under VFR unless that person has visual surface reference or, at night, visual surface light reference, sufficient to safely control the helicopter.

SAS, as a non FAA driver the question is obviously what constitutes visual surface light reference?

I would be quite comfortable with the surface illuminated by moonlight: wouldn't you? Clear skies, bright stars, no cloud all contribute along with a clearly defined horizon and a positive visual navigation fix to confirm your position en route.

Or is that too simple?

[[email protected]]

It does seem a poorly worded regulation - perhaps it is flaunted because it is open to interpretation.

As John says, the surface (land) reflecting bright moonlight is more than sufficient to maintain attitude and orientation whereas the same lighting over a flat calm sea might not.

A single point light source on the land (especially on a dark night) is not enough to maintain attitude and orientation (autokinesis) but it would seem to meet the stipulated criteria.

A combination of a visual horizon and sufficient visible features on the ground is what is really required for safe night VFR flight - so why doesn't the rule say so?

[Thomas coupling]

devil49: I meant it in a philosophical way. I meant that IF one accidentally experienced IIMC then this should be used as a basis for building safeguards against a repeat performance.
SAS has it right again - re read the rules, you cannot fly without visual reference to a light source sufficient to keep you safe. I think the missing words here are: COMMON SENSE.
How can anyone transit at night between cities/towns where there is no ambient light and do it under VFR/VMC?

[John Eacott]

How can anyone transit at night between cities/towns where there is no ambient light and do it under VFR/VMC?

TC,

Moonlight is ambient light: I have no problem flying between our widely spaced towns by the "ambient light" of the moon, often for long distances. 50-100nm would not be unusual, with a good moon and a visible horizon, once outside the built up areas of Australia.

Sea pilot transfers here have been carried out NVFR in SE helicopters for many years: that is an area where they do not always conform to a good visual horizon since the pilot transfer requirement is day in/day out, with no regard for the state of the moon and thus the "ambient light". Akin to the issues that the USA has with their HEMS operations, maybe?

[SASless]

Folks,

There is reality and there is the Rule.

The Rule is quite specific. It clearly states " Visual Surface Light Reference". It does not say "Celestial Light Reference" or "Natural Light Reference".

You can try to twist it all you want....but the truth of the matter remains and that is you must have some house lights, street lights, car headlights or some sort of man made light below you to facilitate your control of the helicopter. That means with "lights" you do not necessarily have to have a "Horizion" in the common definition.

Yes, it is true on a Clear, Bright Moon lit Night, you can fly quite safely over terrain that provides a good horizon. Example....ever flown over snow covered ground, with a Full Moon and bright star light? Seen the sparkling of the Moon Light off the frozen rivers and streams?

Change that to offshore....completely different.

Flying over wooden mountains like we have on the East Coast...on a Moonless but clear night with bright starlight and no surface lights....you have a false horizon as the horizon line will vary with the height of the ridges in front of you...some higher than others which can be a problem as the visible horizon is not the same as that shown on the ADI.

Add an Overcast, a densely forested un-inhabited or very sparsely inhabited area....now how does that affect your visual cues?

We have the Rule and we have commonsense. Obey the Rule in this matter and your chances of having an IIMC encounter are much less.

The same FAA under Part 91 does not impose that surface light requirement.

It limits the requirements to just "Weather Minimums" which to me seems like setting a trap.

My room name here came from having worked at a Large Oil Company in a very sandy place south of Kuwait that had Bell 212's with no SAS doing night flights offshore. As anyone who has flown in that part of the World knows...it gets very Hazy and Overcast, and at night despite there being the required Visibility as required by FAR 91....there is nothing to see for long periods of time, no visible horizon, no lights, nothing but your own big white eyes shining back at you from the windscreen. That is IMC to me....anytime I must control the Helicopter by sole reference to the flight instruments.....but under FAR 91 as interpreted by the Operator....was VFR (based upon weather alone). I was so impressed with that kind of thinking...and the reason the 212's had not SAS which is another story for another time, I picked SASLESS for use here at pprune.

[Devil 49]

"No person may operate a helicopter under VFR unless that person has visual surface reference or, at night, visual surface light reference, sufficient to safely control the helicopter."
A single point of artificial illumination does not ensure ensure adequate surface reference to safely control the helicopter. Therefore, that phrase in the rule does not prevent night IIMC.
The base requirement is adequate surface reference, and a visual light reference must be on the surface, within field of view. It doesn't say "source of illumination" although that is how it's commonly interpreted and applied by my employer. I am also required ceremonial garb (uniforms) and incantations (standardized verbal communications).
The 'surface light reference' is a regulatory phrasing like 'congested area' in that the legal definition is not invoked without separate cause.