US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST)
Monthly Safety Report
September 2026
USHST Vision: A civil registered helicopter community without fatal accidents
US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) Calendar Year Metrics
The USHST’s 5-year goals for 2025-2029 are based on individual, 14 CFR Operating Parts, tracked by the 5-year average fatal accident rates per 100K hours.
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14 CFR Part
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Baseline, CY2018-2022 (per 100K hours)
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Goal, CY2025-2029 (per 100K hours)
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Progress, CY2021-2025 (per 100K hours)
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|
91
|
0.81
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0.73 (10% reduction)
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0.47
|
|
133
|
1.73
|
1.56 (10% reduction)
|
1.00
|
|
135
|
0.33
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0.17 (50% reduction)
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0.41¯
|
|
137
|
1.11
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1.00 (10% reduction)
|
1.08¯
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USHST uses the following as conditions for the fatal accidents included in rate calculations: U.S. registered aircraft, operating in the U.S./U.S. territories (includes offshore), not operating as Public Aircraft (public use).
Helicopter - Safety Enhancement (H-SE) Details
H-SE 2023-05, Training on effects of adverse wind situations.
Government and industry to develop awareness and effective training information that addresses the hazards of adverse wind situations and the impacts to flight performance, especially when at low airspeed.
• Team will research existing hazardous aerodynamic condition definitions and incorporate information on impacts of wind flow when it is interrupted or has abrupt changes.
• Create acceptable knowledge base to provide awareness around relationship between rotor air circulations and lift/ control authority at low airspeed.
• Identify gaps in existing academia.
• Develop a supplemental briefing that can be incorporated into rotorcraft flight training events.
• Provide operational scenarios that illustrate the associated hazards of adverse wind and the impacts at low airspeeds
• Team will establish a framework of existing aviation networks that could be used to establish a safety culture mentoring program. Intent is to use both individuals and organizations to serve in this capacity.
• USHST Outreach Team Focus Groups will actively engage with their respective industry sectors to connect individuals or organizations to a mentor or directly promote informational tools.
• USHST will lobby FAA to incorporate changes in materials.
Helicopter Safety OUTREACH events:
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Please refer to USHST.org to view this entire safety report and its Calendar Year Metrics.
For any questions regarding the information within this notice please contact Clarke Pleasants, Assistant Professor of Aerospace, MTSU, at 615-898-2054 or email at clarke.pleasants@mtsu.edu
