After [June] Hawaii crash, NTSB calls for inspection of helicopters

[DeniseM]

After Hawaii crash, NTSB calls for inspection of helicopters

Federal officials investigating a helicopter crash in Hawaii are urging U.S. and Canadian regulators to require immediate inspections of Bell helicopters that are commonly used by air tour operators, law enforcement and air ambulances.

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[pedro47]

I wish the FAA ad NTSB could / would do better job of inspecting air crafts before something happens.
The first augment will be the shortage of qualified staff in the United States and Canada.

 

[JIMinNC]

I wish the FAA ad NTSB could / would do better job of inspecting air crafts before something happens.
The first augment will be the shortage of qualified staff in the United States and Canada.

They do.

All certified aircraft have a rigorous FAA certification process before they are allowed to be produced in numbers. (Heck, even non-certified homebuilt aircraft have to be inspected during the build process and before the builder/owner is allowed to fly it.) Then, there are more inspections after production before each aircraft is delivered to its first owner. Once the aircraft is flying there are annual inspections, and for aircraft operated for hire in any commercial use (like tour helicopters), there are additional inspections based on flight hours. Each of these ongoing inspections must be performed by licensed Aircraft & Powerplant mechanics with an FAA Inspector Authorization (A&P/IA). Each pilot is also then required to do a pre-flight visual inspection before each flight.

Despite these frequent and repetitive inspections, sometimes things are missed, especially as aircraft age. Inspectors are human too. No inspection regime is perfect. That is where the process of Manufacturer Service Bulletins (SB) and FAA Airworthiness Directives (AD) come from. When FAA inspectors see a maintenance issue emerge as a pattern, or if accidents are caused by a problem that inspectors think might impact other aircraft of the same type, then they issue a mandatory AD that must be complied with. Usually that means an inspection, but it can even require some sort of preventative maintenance (like corrosion treatment, part replacement, or reinforcement plates). Frequently, aircraft or parts manufacturers will even preemptively issue a recommended manufacturer's Service Bulletin prior to the FAA making it mandatory. In my 35 years of aircraft ownership, I've had to comply with numerous ADs and SBs.

One of the reasons all forms of aviation are so safe today is, thanks to the NTSB and FAA, we learn from every accident and steps are taken to try to prevent future accidents.

 

[DianeG]

My brother worked in pre-flight inspections at the Bell Helicopter plant in Canada.
It’s a very, very strict workplace - and every little thing was checked and re-checked - and he usually accompanied the pilot as well for the pre-delivery test flights. He took great pride in his work.

 

[davidvel]

My brother worked in pre-flight inspections at the Bell Helicopter plant in Canada.
It’s a very, very strict workplace - and every little thing was checked and re-checked - and he usually accompanied the pilot as well for the pre-delivery test flights. He took great pride in his work.

That's a good plan to ensure the mechanics and inspectors pay attention to their work: put them on the first flight.

 

[Henry M.]

While you can never rule out the possibility of an accident, I am usually more concerned with the ride to an airport than with the flight itself. Of course there is also the possibility of shoddy operations from an unscrupulous operator, but I do some basic checking before booking any adventure. Most operators don't want to risk an accident any more than their customers. I'm pretty careful with the inspections of my own small plane, but it is not rocket science. A thorough inspection tends to catch most problems.

In the article above, it appears additional inspections would help ameliorate the problem that is described. That is why the NTSB investigates all accidents like the one that occurred. It helps avoid future accidents if recurring issues are identified and addressed. Flying accidents still make national news because they are so infrequent and unique. In reality, driving down the interstate near where I live is significantly more dangerous, with many large 18-wheelers, some with poor inspection requirements, careening down the road, often well above the posted 70 mph speed limit. The truck may not fall out of the sky, but it can take out dozens of cars in an unfortunate accident. Have had one accident like that happen right in fromt of me, on the opposite side of a divided highway.