FAA Rotorcraft Monthly Accident Briefing - March

U.S. Helicopter Safety Team,

Attached is the Rotorcraft Monthly Accident Briefing for March 2020, the 6-month mark of the FY.

Note:  The FAA released the latest Aerospace Forecast, FY2020-2040, in March.  The estimated rotorcraft flight hours for 2019 were reduced by 506,000 hours.  The estimated hours for 2020 were reduced by 510,000 hours.  All rates for FY19 and FY20 in this month’s briefing reflect the revised flight hours.

Monthly Summary

Totals:  5 accidents, 1 fatal accident, 2 fatalities

-The 5 accidents during the month ranked among the three lowest totals for a March in the last 38 FYs.

Cumulative FY20 Summary, Oct-Mar

FY20, Cumulative Totals:  41 accidents, 10 fatal accidents, 29 fatalities

Accidents:

-The Oct-Mar total accident count of 41 was the lowest for the 38 FYs on record.

-The estimated accident rate for Oct-Mar was 2.86 accidents per 100K flight hours, trending at a 10 year low if sustained until the end of the FY.

Fatal Accidents:

-The estimated fatal accident rate for Oct-Mar was 0.7 fatal accidents per 100K flight hours, trending below the previous 2 FYs but lagging rates from FY14-17 if sustained until the end of the FY.

-24% of the accidents that have occurred so far in the FY were fatal, still trending above the recent historical averages of 16-17%.

Fatalities:

-The estimated fatality rate for Oct-Mar was 2.02 per 100K flight hours, trending at the second highest rate for the past 10 FYs if sustained until the end of the FY.

U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST)

-Goal:  Reduce the 5 year average fatal accident rate to 0.55 per 100K flight hours by 2025

-5 year, 2016-2020 Rate (In Progress):  0.67

-2020 Rate (Jan – Mar):  0.36

Lee Roskop

Safety Management Section, AIR-682 Rotorcraft Standards Branch, Policy & Innovation Division 817-222-5337 lee.roskop@faa.gov

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