Eurocopter’s “fleet safety directorate,” officially formed last July, continues to study human factors in helicopter operations, with the statistical backdrop that pilot errors cause an estimated 75 percent of helicopter accidents, and maintenance errors account for another 10 percent. The Franco- German-Spanish company is thus looking for the roots of the misunderstandings and misinterpretations that are blemishing the sector’s safety record.
“Helicopter traffic is booming. If we do not take action, the number of fatal accidents every month will reach an unacceptable level. This, in turn, could affect demand. The airlines faced such a situation 10 years ago and tackled it successfully,” Jean-Pierre Dedieu, senior v-p for fleet safety, told AIN. The directorate, which acts primarily as an information coordinator, is to review technical documents and training programs accordingly.
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