User:BlackEarth

Background, goal and methods


The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) was formed after the International Helicopter Safety Symposium (IHSS) in Montreal, Canada in September 2005, where the central theme was a recognition that long term helicopter accident rates have remained unacceptably high and trends have not shown significant improvement in the last 20 years. A call to action was unanimously accepted by those in attendance at IHSS 2005.

The IHST was created to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to address the unacceptably high long-term heiicopter accident rates. The IHST chose to pursue the goal of reducing the worldwide civil and military helicopter accident rates by 80% in 10 years by adopting the methods that have been used by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) to substantially reduce the worldwide fatal accident rate in the commercial air carrier community. The process used by CAST was directly linked to real accident data, used a broad spectrum of industry experts to analyze it and had objective success measurements to ensure that the actions taken were having the desired effect.

Accordingly, the IHST chartered the Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis Team (JHSAT) to adapt the CAST process to analyze helicopter accident data and to offer recommendations for reducing the accident rate. The IHST also chartered the Joint Helicopter Safety Implementation Team (JHSIT) to assess the JHSATs’ recommendations and to develop detailed implementation plans for the safety enhancements deemed to have the greatest potential benefit. Industry helicopter safety experts representing operators, airframe and engine manufacturers, and regulators comprise both the JHSAT and the JHSIT. Most of the JHSAT team members had substantial accident investigation or safety research experience.

Adaptation of the CAST process involved many changes to ensure that data unique to the helicopter community could be effectively analyzed; however, the basic tenants of the CAST process were preserved: the analyses would be performed by stakeholders, results would be data driven, and the results would be measurable.

Organization


The all-volunteer IHST effort is coordinated by an Executive Committee which is Co-Chaired by a senior representative of the US FAA’s Rotorcraft Directorate  and by the President of Helicopter Association International (HAI). Other members represent America Helicopter Society (AHS) International, Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC) the European Helicopter Association, the European Helicopter Safety Team [], the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), helicopter manufacturers, and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers(OGP).

The initial effort focused on the US helicopter fleet and has grown to encompass international partners in Europe, Brazil, Canada, India, Australia, Gulf Cooperative Council, and Japan. Outreach efforts are underway in Russia, Mexico, South Africa and Korea.

More information, including links to regional organizations, newsletters, and meeting plans is available at. IHST reports and user toolkits are available at. A summary of of IHST's recommendations for small operators is posted on HAI's website.