US Army Non - Human Factor Helicopter Mishap Findings and Recommendations By Major Robert Kent, USAF, MC, SFS 1
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Statement of Accountability This brief represents the position of the researcher. It does not represent the position of any other organization including the United States Air Force or the Department of Defense. Cleared for public release by ASC Public Affairs. Disposition Date: 3 May 2007 Document Number: AFRL-WS 07-1099 2
Background This study describes all 207 U.S. Army Class A-B Rotary Wing Mishaps ascribed to Non - Human Factors (NHF) from FY 85 to 05 This data is based on a study of data archived in the mishap files of the USA Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama This data is the third part of a study that will include all rotary wing aircraft in the DoD The first part USAF Helicopter Mishap Data was publicly released on 18 Sep 2006 The second part USA Human Factor Helicopter Mishap Data was publicly released on 29 Mar 2007 3
Method Obtained all U.S. Army Rotary Wing Aircraft Class A & B Mishaps ascribed to Non - Human Factors from FY 85 to FY 05 inclusive from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center Reviewed all 207 mishap reports Created a data base for initial analysis Major injuries resulted in approximately four weeks or more of lost duty time or permanent disability Minor injuries resulted in approximately less than four weeks of lost duty time 4
Definitions Aircraft were placed in 7 groups for the analysis AH-1 AH-1E/F/G/S FAH-1S, JPAH-1S UH-1 UH-1H/V JUH-1H H-6 AH-6C/G/J MH-6B/E/H/J OH-6A H-47 CH-47C/D MH-47D/E OH-58 OH-58A/C/D/DI/DR H-60 EH-60A MH-60A/K/L UH-60A/L AH-64 AH-64A/D 5
Overview Definitions Mishap Characterization Phase of Flight Data Fatality & Injury Data Summary & Recommendations 6
Definitions Non-Human Factor Definition: Any mishap where the proximal cause was not due to a human factor in accordance with the Department of Defense Human Factors Analysis and Classification System Generally speaking: mechanical failures and weather Weather cases are those where severe weather was encountered but was not forecast 7
Non-Human Factor Mishap Character 8
% of Inventory, FY 85 05, Involved in Class A or B NHF Mishaps 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 % Involved UH-1 (34) AH-1 (19) H-6 (14) H-47 (20) OH-58 (49) H-60 (33) AH-64 (38) N = 207 9
NHF Mishaps by MDS AH-64 (38) UH-1 (34) H-60 (33) AH-1 (19) H-6 (14) N = 207 OH-58 (49) H-47 (20) 10
NHF Mishap Rates/100KHrs by MDS 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 UH-1 (34) AH-1 (19) H-6 (14) CH-47 (20) OH-58 (49) H-60 (33) AH-64 (38) 0.5 0 11
Non-Human Factor Mishap Character Phase of Flight 12
NHF Mishap by Phase of Flight FY 85-05 61% T/O Cruise Hover/Taxi Landing Ground N = 207 13
NHF Fatalities & Injuries by Phase of Flight Ground Landing Hover & Taxi Take-off Uninjured Minor Major Fatal Cruise 0 100 200 300 400 500 14
NHF Fatalities & Injuries by Phase of Flight - Overview Ground Landing Hover & Taxi Take-off Minor Major Fatal Cruise 0 100 200 300 15
All NHF Mishaps Malfunction Categories 15 17 18 29 78 Engine Failure WX Fuel System Tail Rotor Airframe 82% Flight Controls Fire Electrical Main Rotor Transmission Weapons FOD Hydraulics N = 207 16
NHF Cruise Mishaps Malfunction Categories 6 6 9 11 20 54 Engine Failure WX Fuel Systems Tail Rotor Flight Controls Fire Electrical Transmission Airframe Main Rotor Weapons Hydraulics FOD 84% N = 126 17
NHF Cruise Mishaps Fatalities & Injuries 139 185 Uninjured Minor Major Fatal N = 437 29 84 18
NHF Cruise Fatalities & Injuries by Malfunction Category Engine Failure WX Electrical Flight Controls Tail Rotor Main Rotor Fuel Systems Airframe Fire Weapons Minor Major Fatal N = 437 Hydraulics Transmission 0 30 60 90 120 19
NHF Landing Mishaps Malfunction Categories Engine Failure WX 54% 3 2 7 Tail Rotor Fuel Systems / Starvation Main Rotor Flight Controls 4 6 FOD N = 24 20
NHF Landing Mishaps Fatalities & Injuries 8 21 35 Uninjured Minor Major Fatal N = 99 35 21
NHF Landing Fatalities & Injuries by Malfunction Category Fuel System Tail Rotor WX Main Rotor Minor Major Fatal Engine Failure N = 64 FOD 0 5 10 15 20 22
NHF Hover/Taxi Mishaps Malfunction Categories 2 2 2 2 6 8 Engine Airframe Tail Rotor Electrical Fire Flight Controls Fuel Hydraulics Transmission Weapons WX 4 N = 30 23
NHF Hover/Taxi Mishaps Fatalities & Injuries 16 5 5 N = 93 Uninjured Minor Major Fatal 67 24
NHF Hover/Taxi Fatalities & Injuries by Malfunction Category Airframe Tail Rotor Engine WX Fuel Flight Controls Weapons Minor Major Fatal N = 26 Hydraulics 0 5 10 25
NHF Take-Off Mishaps Malfunction Categories 1 Engine Flight Controls 2 Fuel Systems WX N = 13 2 8 26
NHF Take-Off Mishaps Injuries 2 No Fatalities Uninjured Minor 17 Major 32 N = 51 27
NHF Take-Off Fatalities & Injuries by Malfunction Category Engine Failure Fuel Systems Minor Major N = 19 Flight Controls 0 5 10 15 28
NHF Ground Mishaps Malfunction Categories Airframe Flight Controls Fire 5 Engine Failure FOD Main Rotor Transmission 3 WX N = 14 29
NHF Ground Mishap Fatalities & Injuries 3 1 Uninjured Minor Fatal N = 45 41 30
Non-Human Factor Deaths & Injuries 31
NHF Fatality Rates/100KHrs by MDS 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 CH-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 0.5 0 32
NHF Fatality Rates/100K Hours Adjusted for average personnel on board 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 CH-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 0.1 0 33
NHF Mishap Protection Factor 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 0 34
NHF Injury Rates/100K Hours by MDS 1.6 1.4 1.2 Minor Major 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 35
NHF Injury Rates/100K Hours Adjusted for average personnel on board 0.7 0.6 0.5 Minor Major 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 36
NHF Fatalities & Major Injuries by MDS 125 100 75 Fatal Major 50 25 0 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 37
NHF Fatality & Injury Rates by MDS/100K Hours 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 Fatal Major 38
NHF Fatality & Injury Rates by MDS/100K Hours - Adjusted 0.6 0.5 0.4 Fatal Major 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 UH-1 AH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 39
Percent Survivable Mishaps 100% 80% 60% Uncategorized 40% 20% Non-Survivable Partially Survivable Survivable 0% AH-1 UH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 40
Percent Injuries in Survivable Mishaps 100% 80% 60% 40% Uninjured Minor Major Fatal 20% 0% AH-1 UH-1 H-6 H-47 OH-58 H-60 AH-64 41
Army Rotary Wing Non-Human Factor Mishap Fatalities & Injuries Head Chest Spine Lower Ext Major (n=44) Fatal (n=164) Abdomen Pelvis Upper Ext Burns Drown 0 50 100 150 42
Pilot Fatality and Injury Location PILOT Injuries n=409 Fatal Major Minor Total Head 60 14 39 113 (27.6%) Chest 60 5 13 78 (19.1%) Abdomen 43 2 3 48 (11.7%) Pelvis 36 1 5 42 (10.3%) Upper Ext 35 8 23 66 (16.1%) Lower Ext 41 14 47 102 (24.9%) Spine 45 17 35 97 (23.7%) Pilot injuries were most often to the head, lower extremity, and spine in NHF mishaps 43
Pilot Fatality and Injury Location PILOTS Fatal Non-Fatal Percent Fatal (N = 409) (N=69) (N=340) Head 60 (87.0%) 53 53.1% Chest 60 (87.0%) 18 76.9% Abdomen 43 (62.3%) 5 89.6% Pelvis 36 (52.2%) 6 85.7% Upper Ext. 35 (50.7%) 31 53.0% Lower Ext. 41 (59.4%) 61 40.2% Spine 45 (65.2%) 52 46.4% Percent of pilots with a given injury location who died 44
Non-Pilot Injury Location Non-PILOT Injuries n=315 Fatal Major Minor Total Head 63 11 17 91 (28.9%) Chest 62 8 5 75 (23.8%) Abdomen 43 2 0 45 (14.3%) Pelvis 45 5 5 55 (17.5%) Upper Ext 37 4 13 54 (17.1%) Lower Ext 46 10 20 76 (24.1%) Spine 50 4 19 73 (23.2%) Non-Pilot injuries were most often to the head, lower extremity, chest, and spine in NHF mishaps 45
Non-pilot Fatality and Injury Patterns, by Location Crew & PAX Fatal (N=95) Non-Fatal (N=220) Percent Fatal Head 63 (66.3%) 28 69.2% Chest 62 (65.3%) 13 82.7% Abdomen 43 (45.3%) 2 95.6% Pelvis 45 (47.4%) 10 81.8% Upper Ext. 37 (38.9%) 17 68.5% Lower Ext. 46 (48.4%) 30 60.5% Spine 50 (52.6%) 23 68.5% 46
Paired Pilot vs. Passenger & Crew U.S. Army Rotary Wing Non-Human Factor Mishap Fatalities & Injuries MISHAPS N = 207 PILOTS N = 409 # % PAX & CREW N = 315 # % Δ% NOT INJURED 218 53.3 132 41.9-11.4 RR =.77 (p<.0011) MINOR INJURY 99 24.2 67 21.3-2.9 RR =.89 (p<.388) MAJOR INJURY 23 5.6 21 6.7 +1.04 RR = 1.2 (P<.538) +13.3 FATAL 69 16.9 95 30.2 RR = 1.75 (P<.00006) 47
Emergency Locator Transmitters U.S. Army Rotary Wing Non-Human Factor Mishaps MISHAPS N = 207 No ELT Installed or ELT not armed Fatal Mishap N = 49 # % 8 25.6 Non-Fatal Mishap N = 158 # % 4 3.2 ELT Installed 41 74.4 154 96.8 48
Summary & Recommendations 49
Summary NHF mishaps affect all MDS approximately equally Most NHF mishaps, injuries, and fatalities occur during cruise flight (High V 2 ) Most NHF cruise mishaps are due to engine failure or weather Engine failure is common to all phases of flight but is uniquely NOT the greatest problem with regards to injury during landing Head injury is associated with the greatest risk of fatality Non-pilot crew members and passengers have greater frequencies of more severe injuries than pilots Lack of an installed and armed ELT is highly associated with fatal mishaps 50
Safety Technology Recommendations Require all personnel aboard helicopters to wear helmets at all times Provide real time, satellite datalink weather to all helicopter pilots Improve crashworthiness, flail and Gz protection of nonpilot seating to mitigate disproportionately high injury and death rates compared to pilots Improve the ability of rear compartment crew to remain in crashworthy seating below ETL Eliminate the need to use harnesses in place of crashworthy seating Emergency Locator Transmitters should be installed and armed on all aircraft Design emergency procedures to minimize V 2 51