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LOOP News 9 OCT 07: MORE HELP FOR HELI PILOTSBETTER cockpit design and more relevant guidance for pilots are two of eight recommendations to come out of a study into accidents by helicopters when flying in Degraded Visual Conditions (DVE). The cockpit structure is vital in maintaining visual cues, says the study. And simple things such as having an IFR chart holder and an attitude indicator can help. The study was commissioned by the CAA, and carried out by QinetiQ. The company analysed relevant accidents from 1975 to 2004, and also carried out a series of tests in QinetiQ's Real Time All Vehicle Simulator. Two qualified and experienced test pilots evaluated a series of manoeuvres and visual conditions based on information from the accident case studies. The manoeuvres were Hover Taxi, Fly Away, Turn, Climb and Approach. The study says they were successful in demonstrating how pilot situational awareness can be eroded in VFR operations as visual conditions degrade, a key factor being the division of attention between guidance and stabilisation tasks. It follows the continuing incidence of serious accidents involving civil helicopters in degraded visual cueing conditions, says the CAA. Poor aircrew situational awareness, and ultimately spatial disorientation or controlled flight into terrain, have been identified as primary causal factors. Part of the problem is that existing regulations divide operations into either VFR or IFR, with no consideration given to DVE operations, for example, night operations. The full list of recommendations: 1 IFR dynamic stability requirements for all ops, including VFR 2 Criteria for DVE operations based on IFR requirements. This would be for night flights and ops in visual ranges of less than a 'specified' minima 3 Criteria for the mechanical characteristics of flight controls and their effect on pilot workload 4 Make an attitude indicator compulsory for all ops, including VFR 5 Better training for DVE ops 6 Raise pilot awareness of problems associated with DVE ops 7 More guidance on whether to fly or not in marginal conditions 8 Training to include digital images of typical operating conditions. The full report, Helicopter Flight in Degraded Visual Conditions, is available from the CAA website. W: www.caa.co.uk |                      | ||||||
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