Curiosity - a curse.
I read the 'Cronin' statement through a couple of times; more in idle curiously than deep interest - not having had much to do with helicopters and their operation. A couple of quotes made set me to wondering:-
"Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) president Ray Cronin has laid responsibility for the helicopter industry's flagging safety record squarely at the feet of pilots."
"He also noted that catastrophic component failure leading to an accident is "so low you can't really count it".
"Cronin singled out several common themes in helicopter crashes including flying after dark without qualifications or adequate instruments, fuel exhaustion, controlled flight into terrain and leaving helicopters running unattended."
A quick scamper through the ATSB data base left some questions which are probably worthy of some consideration; either Cronin is privy to information related to events which are not being reported and 'investigated: or, the ATSB ain't doing enough of it.
I only stepped back two years - July 04, 2020 and found investigation AO- 2020 -07. Within the following two year period there were 16 (sixteen) reports into helicopter events - none of which reflected the Cronin remarks as being 'part and parcel' of the event.
In 2020 - (A0-2020 prefix) we find reports - 07; 033;43; 64.
In 2021 (AO-2021 prefix) we find reports 007; 006; 018; 022; 035;
In 2022 (AO-2022 prefix) we find reports 006; 010; 09; 12; 16; 17; 030;
It is a mixed bag of 16 events - more or less reflecting world wide data (give or take) about what could be reasonably expected - component failure a statistical feature.
"We're effecting the public confidence in using helicopters, and this is in any sector: tourism, EMS, offshore," Cronin said. "People won't want to get on helicopters to go to work; they won't want to be rescued – they'll ask if there's another way to get off the cliff.
Seems to me a little unfair to blame all pilots for every event - considering the 'facts' ; the type of work being done and the accident report data. Still, they are the easiest target in the scapegoat game. I would have thought that blaming all on the pilots would be very detrimental to 'public confidence' - with every passenger wondering about the competence of the qualified, licensed driver of the bus to a fiery doom. Tempted to call 'bollocks' - alas, more research needed than I can be bothered to do...
Toot - unimpressed - toot.
I read the 'Cronin' statement through a couple of times; more in idle curiously than deep interest - not having had much to do with helicopters and their operation. A couple of quotes made set me to wondering:-
"Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) president Ray Cronin has laid responsibility for the helicopter industry's flagging safety record squarely at the feet of pilots."
"He also noted that catastrophic component failure leading to an accident is "so low you can't really count it".
"Cronin singled out several common themes in helicopter crashes including flying after dark without qualifications or adequate instruments, fuel exhaustion, controlled flight into terrain and leaving helicopters running unattended."
A quick scamper through the ATSB data base left some questions which are probably worthy of some consideration; either Cronin is privy to information related to events which are not being reported and 'investigated: or, the ATSB ain't doing enough of it.
I only stepped back two years - July 04, 2020 and found investigation AO- 2020 -07. Within the following two year period there were 16 (sixteen) reports into helicopter events - none of which reflected the Cronin remarks as being 'part and parcel' of the event.
In 2020 - (A0-2020 prefix) we find reports - 07; 033;43; 64.
In 2021 (AO-2021 prefix) we find reports 007; 006; 018; 022; 035;
In 2022 (AO-2022 prefix) we find reports 006; 010; 09; 12; 16; 17; 030;
It is a mixed bag of 16 events - more or less reflecting world wide data (give or take) about what could be reasonably expected - component failure a statistical feature.
"We're effecting the public confidence in using helicopters, and this is in any sector: tourism, EMS, offshore," Cronin said. "People won't want to get on helicopters to go to work; they won't want to be rescued – they'll ask if there's another way to get off the cliff.
Seems to me a little unfair to blame all pilots for every event - considering the 'facts' ; the type of work being done and the accident report data. Still, they are the easiest target in the scapegoat game. I would have thought that blaming all on the pilots would be very detrimental to 'public confidence' - with every passenger wondering about the competence of the qualified, licensed driver of the bus to a fiery doom. Tempted to call 'bollocks' - alas, more research needed than I can be bothered to do...
Toot - unimpressed - toot.