Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) has issued&nbsp;a new white paper that focuses on ways to avoid weather-related&nbsp;helicopter accidents. The group proposes a comprehensive, five-point strategy to improve commercial VFR helicopter safety for passenger operations.

 


Key recommendations include implementing regular risk identification and mitigation/management strategies, as well as tools&nbsp;to improve or develop an organizational safety culture; improving pilot decision making and adherence to procedures, including training on how to safely fly out of marginal weather and the use of single-pilot resource management and small flight recorders; establishing procedures for more consistent go/no-go decisions&nbsp;that include enforcement of&nbsp;weather minimums, limiting late flight plan changes, and using a process to inform customers of cancellations/postponements; educating customers&nbsp;via mandatory preflight weather and safety briefings; and enhancing regulatory oversight&nbsp;by mandating all commercial operations be&nbsp;flown under Part 135 rules and work&nbsp;with small operators to develop SMS, risk assessment, weather training, and flight data monitoring programs.

 


The paper noted that&nbsp;there “needs to be a sense of urgency” to the problem of&nbsp;safety with the active participation of operators, manufacturers, regulators, and consumers to reduce the fatal helicopter accident rate. "Fatal crashes continue to happen with tragic regularity," the FSF&nbsp;said.

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Flight Safety Foundation Tackles VFR Helicopter Accidents

Flight Safety Foundation proposes strategy to reduce commercial VFR helicopter operations. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Pilot died of cardiac arrest during the flight

NTSB: Pax Safely Lands King Air after Pilot Collapsed

Vehicle also struck parked ground-support tractor; there were no injuries

Teen Driver Breaches Fence, Hits PlaneSense PC-12 at KPSM

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Six fatal accidents resulted in 22 fatalities in the quarter

NBAA Report Flags Powerplant, Collision Risks in Q2 Data

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Twenty years ago, a business jet and commerical airliner collided; the smaller airplane survived

Remembering a Solemn Anniversary: the Amazon Midair 

David Jack Kenny

Preliminary and final accident reports, September 2026

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: September 2026

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

More In Accidents

NTSB: Pax Safely Lands King Air after Pilot Collapsed

Pilot died of cardiac arrest during the flight

Teen Driver Breaches Fence, Hits PlaneSense PC-12 at KPSM

Vehicle also struck parked ground-support tractor; there were no injuries

NBAA Report Flags Powerplant, Collision Risks in Q2 Data

Six fatal accidents resulted in 22 fatalities in the quarter

Remembering a Solemn Anniversary: the Amazon Midair

Twenty years ago, a business jet and commerical airliner collided; the smaller airplane survived

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: September 2026

Preliminary and final accident reports, September 2026

NTSB Cites Heliport Misidentification in Aug. 2025 Crash

Captain opted out of instrument approach over autopilot concerns

Fire of Unknown Origin Led to 2024 Citation X Accident

NTSB: Ignition source could not be conclusively identified

NTSB: Bell 206L Damage Caused by Aeroelastic Interaction

Helicopter experienced a vertical hop for which the pilot didn’t know the recovery procedure

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