--by Gene Trainor, FAA Rotorcraft Standards Branch

The FAA is urging pilots to step up their vigilance for wires and unexpected terrain after a rash of fatal accidents occurred last October and November among U.S.-registered helicopters.

The news comes at a time when the FAA Rotorcraft Standards Branch has for years, under its Non-Required Safety Enhancing Equipment (NORSEE) policy, been certifying and streamlining the process for installing safety equipment to prevent accidents, including wire and terrain detection equipment.

Seven accidents during October-November were particularly deadly, with 15 people losing their lives. This ranks as the third highest October-November fatal accident total on record in 37 years. The 11 deaths in November set a record for that month.

Some of the fatal accidents are still under investigation, but the following descriptions set the stage for how several of the accidents occurred:

• October 30: Workers were stringing fiber optic lines along existing power lines in New York State when a helicopter became entangled in the lines and crashed. A fire ensued. Two people died, and two were seriously injured.
• November 2: Workers were involved in utility line work in Arkansas when a helicopter hit a utility pole and crashed. One person died, two suffered minor injuries.
• November 16: A law enforcement flight from Columbus, Georgia, to Clanton, Alabama, ended tragically when a helicopter struck power lines and fell into the Coosa River in Alabama. Two people died.

And it’s not just wires and poles that present problems. A just-married couple and their pilot died November 4 when their helicopter flew at night from Uvalde, Texas en route to San Antonio. The helicopter collided with a 1,450-foot hill about five miles from the ranch.

As you well know, helicopter pilots often face unexpected weather changes, unplanned workloads, and dangerous terrains and environments.

To help address safety concerns for helicopter pilots, the FAA’s Rotorcraft Standards Branch issued its NORSEE policy in 2013 after consulting with industry. NORSEE allows operators and manufacturers to install safety equipment through a streamlined and less expensive FAA approval process. The policy seeks to strike a balance between risk and safety through a “common-sense” approach.

Wire detection systems are not required, so by definition they fall under the NORSEE policy. Options include:

Power line detection systems: These systems sense the electromagnetic fields surrounding power lines and alert pilots through sound and light. The drawback is that these systems only detect active power lines. They do not detect guy wires, some telephone lines, or inactive power lines.

Laser systems: These systems can scan a helicopter’s surroundings for objects and obstructions. They warn pilots about wires through sound and light.

Wire cutting devices (cutters): Cutters placed on the helicopter’s roof and bottom cut through wires if a collision should occur, preventing an accident.

Even the best pilots face unexpected situations and can be distracted. Be proactive and thorough in your planning and consider the safety-enhancing benefits of NORSEE equipment; it may just be a life-saver.

Here are some safety tips based on a 2008 FAA wire-strike safety study:

Avoid cruising below 750 feet above ground level when the operation does not require it. The higher you fly, the less likely you will strike wires.

Review aeronautical charts and conduct reconnaissance flights at higher altitudes before conducting low-altitude operations.

Gene Trainor is a technical writer and editor for the Rotorcraft Standards Branch in Fort Worth, Texas. He previously worked as a newspaper reporter and editor.