After gathering accident information from countries around the world, the International Helicopter Safety Foundation (www.IHSF.aero) is seeing a temporary setback for the industry’s objective of safer civil helicopter operations. Preliminary 2018 data from 50 countries show a year-over-year increase in fatal accidents and virtually no change in non-fatal accidents. However, the long-term trend remains positive. Fatal accidents during the three year period of 2016-18 are down 19 percent compared to 2013-15 and non-fatal accidents are down 25 percent when comparing the past three years to the previous three years.
North America – United States
2018: 97 non-fatal, 24 fatal accidents
2017: 103 non-fatal, 20 fatal accidents
2016: 89 non-fatal, 17 fatal accidents
2015: 104 non-fatal, 17 fatal accidents
2014: 117 non-fatal, 21 fatal accidents
2013: 116 non-fatal, 30 fatal accidents
North America – Canada
2018: 24 non-fatal, 1 fatal accident ***
2017: 25 non-fatal, 1 fatal accident
2016: 26 non-fatal, 2 fatal accidents
2015: 28 non-fatal, 5 fatal accidents
2014: 34 non-fatal, 0 fatal accidents
2013: 21 non-fatal, 6 fatal accidents
North America – Mexico
2018: 2 non-fatal, 2 fatal accidents
2017: 9 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
2016: 5 non-fatal, 2 fatal accident
2015: 5 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
2014: 6 non-fatal, 1 fatal accident
2013: 5 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
Europe (32 countries) **
2018: 43 non-fatal, 16 fatal accidents
2017: 46 non-fatal, 8 fatal accidents
2016: 40 non-fatal, 12 fatal accidents
2015: 67 non-fatal, 17 fatal accidents
2014: 83 non-fatal, 15 fatal accidents
2013: non-fatal, 25 fatal accidents
India
2018: 1 non-fatal, 0 fatal accidents
2017: 1 non-fatal, 1 fatal accident
2016: 0 non-fatal, 1 fatal accident
2015: 1 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
2014: 0 non-fatal, 0 fatal accidents
2013: 5 non-fatal, NA fatal accidents
CIS/Russia (11 countries) **
2018: 6 non-fatal, 10 fatal accidents
2017: 7 non-fatal, 4 fatal accidents
2016: 18 non-fatal, 12 fatal accidents
2015: 12 non-fatal, 10 fatal accidents
2014: 11 non-fatal, 12 fatal accidents
2013: 12 non-fatal, 7 fatal accidents
Brazil
2018: 14 non-fatal, 7 fatal accidents
2017: 8 non-fatal, 2 fatal accidents
2016: 14 non-fatal, 5 fatal accidents
2015: 11 non-fatal, 6 fatal accidents
2014: 14 non-fatal, 6 fatal accidents
2013: 21 non-fatal, 4 fatal accidents
New Zealand
2018: 10 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
2017: 12 non-fatal, 2 fatal accidents
2016: 10 non-fatal, 2 fatal accidents
2015: 14 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
2014: 11 non-fatal, 5 fatal accidents
2013: 18 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
Japan
2018: 3 non-fatal, 1 fatal accidents
2017: 6 non-fatal, 3 fatal accidents
2016: 2 non-fatal, 0 fatal accidents
2015: 2 non-fatal, 2 fatal accidents
2014: 1 non-fatal, 0 fatal accidents
2013: 3 non-fatal, 0 fatal accidents
Total from 50 countries
2018: 199 non-fatal, 64 fatal accidents
2017: 198 non-fatal, 47 fatal accidents
2016: 204 non-fatal, 53 fatal accidents
2015: 244 non-fatal, 66 fatal accidents
2014: 275 non-fatal, 60 fatal accidents
2013: 279 non-fatal, 78 fatal accidents
(*) Reporting countries in Europe include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom)
(**) Reporting countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Russia.
(***) 2018 accident total from Canada is preliminary.
Using combined data from these 50 countries, total civil helicopter non-fatal accidents in 2018 were unchanged compared to the prior year and fatal accidents were up by 36 percent year-over-year. Total accidents increased 7 percent year-over-year. (263 vs. 245.)
Comparing 2018 to 2013, non-fatal accidents have decreased by 29 percent and fatal accidents have been cut by 22 percent.
The IHSF was formed in 2005 to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to promote helicopter safety and work to reduce accidents and fatalities. More information about the IHSF, its reports, safety tools, Reel Safety audio/video presentations and YouTube safety videos can be obtained at its web site at www.IHSF.aero and on the IHSF Facebook page.