I must apologise to my colleagues for I need some help to find the missing page in the AAIB report on the Shetland 332L2 accident.
I got the bit about VRS but couldn't for the life of me find the bit that said something like-
"
We have examined the issues surrounding the teaching of autopilot systems to helicopter pilots and we found them to be totally inadequate. In fact we are forced to conclude that the decades long campaign by the UK CAA against the use of autopilots to be a contributory factor in the inadequate understanding of the man/machine interface by flight crews. Moreover we observe that the lack of any requirement for a helicopter pilot to demonstrate competency in the management of AP/FD/FMS systems to be a contributory factor in this accident. We will insist that the CAA lobby EASA with a view to introducing a requirement for all such systems to be included in all future LSTs based on the principle that all on board equipment MUST be included in the LST if it is considered essential to the normal management of flight operations. As the use of AP/FD/FMS systems is becoming more and more widespread and is indeed the very heart of such aircraft as the AW139, AW189, S92A and EC225 we are at a loss to understand how we, the guardians of public safety 'after the fact' have not mentioned it before. In fact I'm going to give myself a very strong talking to and stand in a corner for at least a day... well an hour then. Can anyone get me a cup of coffee, I feel a bit tired.
G.
PS. This recommendation was made in an AAIB report in 2002. One has to ask the question "what changed?"
Recommendation 2002 - 50
The CAA should review the Police Air Operators Manual (PAOM) to ensure that training in the use of autopilot systems is required to be covered by the operator during initial and recurrent line training and the PAOM Part II contains instructions for the use of autopilot systems by pilots during normal operations.