Aerial Filming Accident database
 

I've exhausted google, at least the version we get here in oz, in research for incidents and accidents occurring during the course of aerial filming or photography, from Jan 1st 2000 to today.

I'd appreciate your help to ratify the list, if you know of events not in the list below please let me know.

The database will be a reference to media producers, directors and cameramen, as well as pilots. It includes details specific to aerial filming, such as type of camera system used (hand held stabilised or mechanical) and type of production, 27 fields, listed below.

140 incidents (including fixed wing), claiming 55 cameramen and 42 pilots.

The research is driven by the fact that outside of war zones, aerial photography and filming remains the most dangerous activity, by far, for cameramen.

The research has been self funded and is not connected to any commercial entity or industry body.


cheers


Mickjoebill


Excluded
Police, military and dedicated survey aircraft.
Near misses.
Uneventful non emergency return to airfield due to mechanicals.

Included
Emergency landings/ autos (including due to mechanicals), contact with a structure and any incident where damage is caused to crew property or aircraft.



DRAFT; Summary List of all accidents EAOA


3-Mar-00 USA Miami HU 600N
6-Mar-00 USA North Carolina Hughes 369C
22-Mar-00 France La region d’ Estaing le Nayrac AS350B
26-Mar-00 USA Van Nuys Los Angeles AS350B
18-Jun-00 UK Portmadog AS350B
22-Jun-00 Canada Llewellyn Glacier in British Columbia Bell 206L3
23-Aug-00 Denmark Jutland R22
15-Dec-00 Australia Bulla, Melbourne Bell 206
14-Jan-01 Mongolia Uvs provence Mi8
20-Feb-01 Greece Limenaria Thasos unknown
19-Jul-01 Thailand Pha Mai Daeng village UH 60
1-Aug-01 USA Baltimore Bell 206B
2-Sep-01 China Yongjia County Zhwjiang Province ultralight
18-Jan-02 UK Bideford AS350B
26-Mar-02 Canada Blairmore Alberta AS350D
13-Apr-02 Germany Saarbrücken, Saarland AS350B2
24-May-02 Israel Ramle AS350B3
6-Sep-02 The gulf Bahrain SH 60B
7-Sep-02 USA Jamestown KY R22
26-Apr-03 UAE Dubai Bell 412
3-May-03 Russia Chita Region Mi 26
8-May-03 USA Aurora Reservoir Colorado Bell 206B
20-May-03 South Africa Lesotho Khatse Dam BO105
30-May-03 UK Haltwhistle, Hadrian's Wall Bell 206B
12-Jun-03 France Carcans Rans S12 Airaile
29-Aug-03 UK Fort Augustus AS350B
24-Sep-03 Spain Porto Petro, Balearic Islands R22 mariner
25-Oct-03 Austria Seeham Salzburg AS350B
29-Oct-03 Mexico Mexico City Bell 206B
4-Dec-03 USA Carson California Goodyear
21-Feb-04 Chile Bahia de Arauco AS350BA
1-Apr-04 Ireland Newgrange County Meath Bell 206B
1-Apr-04 Japan Nagiso Kiso River unknown
4-May-04 USA New York AS350BA
28-Jul-04 France Verlinghem Bell 206B
14-Aug-04 USA Florida Cessna 206B
23-Aug-04 USA Wyoming Bell 206B III
11-Nov-04 Brazil Negro River near Manaus Seaplane
30-Dec-04 USA Panamint Springs, Death Valley park AS350BA
3-Mar-05 UAE Dubai Bell 412
13-May-05 Belgium Landen, Brabant R22
25-Jun-05 USA Lake of Ozarks Missouri R22
1-Dec-05 Spain Mostoles Bell 206LT
12-Feb-06 Australia Hobsons Bay, St Kilda R44 News
28-May-06 Germany Zwenkau, Eipzig Schweizer 269C
25-Jun-06 Belgium Antwerp AS355F1
26-Jun-06 USA Chino Hills Bell 206B
30-Jun-06 USA Walford Iowa Bell 206B
12-Jul-06 USA Taos New mexico Bell 206 L 3
17-Jul-06 USA Philadelphia AS350BA
1-Sep-06 Nepal Ghunsa Mi172
12-Sep-06 Portugal Carvalhal R44
18-Jun-07 USA Logan UT Rotorway 162F
20-Jun-07 USA Sand Springs Oklahoma 206B III
27-Jul-07 USA Phoenix Arizona AS350B2
27-Jul-07 USA Phoenix Arizona AS350B2
30-Jul-07 USA Grand Prairie Texas Bell 206B
1-Oct-07 Pakistan Gari Dupata Muzaffarabad, AS332 Supa Puma
29-Oct-07 Norway Rakkestad Ostfold R44
1-Nov-07 Switzerland Pragelpasshohe, SZ R44
9-Nov-07 USA Casey Key, Nokomis Sarasota Florida Bell 206B
13-Nov-07 Mexico San Pedro Martir Mountains Bell 206B
6-Dec-07 Tanzania Lake Natron 412 EP
4-Mar-08 USA Dalzell Gorge Anchorage Bell 206L
5-Mar-08 Spain Yaiza Lanzarote AS350B2
24-Apr-08 South Africa Mabalingwe Reserve Limpopo Gyroplane
6-Jul-08 Japan Cape Omasaki on Shimokita AS350B
19-Aug-08 Japan Shiki-cho, Yao City, Osaka Prefecture Cessna 206
8-Sep-08 Australia Townsville Bell 206B
14-Sep-08 Portugal Monchique Bell 206L3
26-Sep-08 Austria Egg AS350
27-Sep-08 Denmark Montgomery County Bell 206L
11-Nov-08 USA Palm beach Bell 206B
6-Jan-09 Argentina Mendoza AS350B3
25-Jan-09 USA Sebring Remos GX
10-Feb-09 Hungary Budaors R44
20-Mar-09 USA Prescott Arizona R22
25-Mar-09 Turkey Kahramanm-aras province
8-Apr-09 Mexico Cubiri Sinaloa AS350B2
13-Jun-09 Portugal Serra da Estrela, near Long Pond Bell 206 B3
5-Aug-09 Canada Mont-Laurier Quebec Enstrom F28
23-Aug-09 Uruguay La Calavera de Cabo Polonio R44
3-Dec-09 Austria Seefield EC 135
9-Dec-09 Australia False Cape R44 CLIPPER
16-Dec-09 Canada Montreal R44 News
4-Jan-10 Argentina Fiambala, Catamarca province, 2010. R44
10-Feb-10 Brazil Sao Paulo AS350
10-May-10 USA Austin Texas Lake Travis R22 Mariner
18-Jun-10 Argentina Buenos Aires MB105
21-Jun-10 USA Asheville North Carolina Schweizer 269C
27-Jun-10 Netherlands Rotterdam Maasvlakte EC130 B4
7-Aug-10 Australia Mordiallic, Moorabbin, Melbourne Cessna 152
1-Sep-10 Thailand Bangkok Chao Phraya River AS350
17-Sep-10 USA Pikes Peak AS355F1
19-Sep-10 USA Sheridan Michigan AS350B2
21-Sep-10 USA Bell 206B
12-Nov-10 USA Pacoima AS350B2
10-Jan-11 Portugal Corroios AS350B2
11-Apr-11 USA Indiana Pennsylvania R44
8-May-11 USA Colorado R44
29-Jun-11 USA Thornton Cessna 182
20-Jul-11 USA South Brunswick Dayton New Jersey R22
23-Jul-11 USA Randlett OK Bell 206
3-Aug-11 South Africa Cape town R44
18-Aug-11 Australia Lake Eyre SA AS355F1
20-Aug-11 Germany Hamburg Harbour Schweizer 269C
6-Sep-11 Georgia Khevsuretia District, Mi8
10-Sep-11 Brazil Aeroporto Santos SumontRIo De Janiero R44
19-Sep-11 Spain Cadiz Bell 206B
22-Sep-11 USA Wells, Nevada Ultralight
29-Sep-11 Kenya * Kinondo Ultralight
15-Oct-11 Russia Erzovka Gorodishchenskoye R44
20-Oct-11 Russia Vileyty AS355N
7-Nov-11 Switzerland Ardez AS350B3
4-Feb-12 Australia Jaspers Brush R44
6-Apr-12 Belgium Huy, district of Saint-Remy R22
15-Apr-12 Guatemala Antigua Bell 206L
28-Apr-12 Angola Huambo AS 319
28-Apr-12 USA Port Canaveral Kitefox 5
1-May-12 ------ Hillier UH12
2-May-12 USA Phoenix Arizona Hughes 269C
21-Aug-12 Philippines Donsol BO105
28-Aug-12 USA Hollywood AS350
8-Sep-12 Netherlands Wassenaar Cessna 172
10-Sep-12 USA Cosby, Texas R22
21-Sep-12 Mexico Lake Zirahuen Bell 407
22-Oct-12 Netherlands Zeeasterweg in Dronten Diamond DA40D
27-Oct-12 USA Lake Havasu Arizona R22 mariner
24-Dec-12 Turkey Antalya, Lara Kundu Microlight
19-Jan-13 Australia Baskerville Perth 206B III
10-Feb-13 USA Acton Cal. Bell 206
24-Feb-13 Kenya Lake Michaelson Aeroprakt A22
3-Mar-13 Namibia Damaraland area of Kunene Region Aviation Rally
8-May-13 Netherlands Egmond aan Zee 50km off coast North Sea Cessna 172
8-May-13 USA Honolulu R22
13-May-13 USA Herndon Virginia 177B
12-Jun-13 Germany Reichelsheim Friedberg Goodyear
20-Jul-13 China Zhangye Microlight
31-Jul-13 Australia Horn Island Queensland Bell 206B

ENDS

Data fields
Date, Country, Location, Model, Time, Rotary or Fixed Wing, Cameraman injuries, Crew Injuries, Crew number including cameraman, Mechanism, Damage, Topography, Pilot total hours, Pilot hours on type, Hours recent, Pilot age, Pilot status, Phase of flight, Height above ground or above mean sea level, Speed when control lost, Direction of flight, Subject motion, Mission, Type of camera operation, Cameraman, Notes, Accident Reports.

"Mechanism" refers to cause i.e.; LTE, Settling with power, Hit wire, Mechanical, mid air ect.
"Phase of Flight" filming in progress, landing, take-off, in transit.
"Subject motion" stationary, random path, predicted path.
"Mission" TV commercial, documentary, news report, news live, sports, corporate, ride-along, TV reality, feature.

Here is the data fields. As much or as little info, even if it is just a date and location.
I'm sure we can effect some change within the media industry and reduce the accident rate.

Mickjoebill


DATA FIELDS

Date

Country

Location

Model ie as350

Time

Rotary or Fixed wing

Cameraman injuries; minor, serious, fatal.

Crew injuries; minor, serious, fatal.

Pilot/Others injuries; minor, serious fatal.

POB including cameraman

Mechanism; LTE, settling with power, spun into ground/water, hit wire, hit obstacle,

Mechanical; gearbox, engine, hydraulics, weather known, weather sudden,ect

Aircraft Damage ; minor, substantial, destroyed

Topography; city street, field, rural, mountains, water flat, water waves ect

Relevant weather

Pilot hours; total

Pilot hours; on type

Pilot hours recent; 30 60 or 90days

Pilot age

Pilot status; freelance, aircraft owner, staff

Phase of flight; shooting in progress, in transit, landing, takeoff.

Height above ground or above mean sea level (if relevant)

Airspeed when accident event started.

Direction of flight; forward, hover, turn left/right orbit left/right.

Subject motion; stationary, random path, predictable path.

Mission, Tv commercial, news live, news report, sports, documentary, reality feature film, TV drama, corporate, ride-along.

Type of camera operation; hand held open door, stabilised nose mount, stabilised side mount, mechanical side mount, through window.

Cameraman name

Notes; synopsis plus any other safety related info, ie ppe worn not worn, ie helmet, harness life vest, rescue attempts, time taken to be found, relevant history of planning. Web links.

Reports; official accident reports.

ENDS

Are you including story ships (like the AH-1 crash while filming Top Gear), or just camera ships?

Just camera ships or ships where cameramen are on board shooting, so ride alongs are included as the presence of the camera often has an impact.
(consider the twin jet ranger trying to lift off out of the bull ring, overloaded with film crew and a politicians entourage)

I debated if the Cobra was a camera ship as it had a nose mounted camera, but decided the data would have more impact if it was rigorously specific to having a camera person onboard.

So the fixed wing pilot who shot stills out the window, up until his last breath, is included.


If there are numerous story ship accidents, pass them on and I'll start a sub group.

The feature film industry has a good record with only four incidents, one fatal.
TV commercials 8 prangs, six of them shooting car commercials and one shooting general views for a car commercial.

The feature film fatality also occurred shooting a car.



Mickjoebill