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October 30, 2007 - DART Helicopter Services - As many as 15 people who died in helicopter accidents in-route to and from offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico may have been saved if they could have reached life rafts or had used fully functioning signaling devices.
A newly released National Transportation Safety Board Safety Recommendation (A-07-87 and A-07-88) reveals that as many as 15 lives were lost in Gulf of Mexico helicopter incidents and accidents between 2000 and 2005 because the life rafts onboard their aircraft were not retrieved from inside the cabin once the aircraft entered the water or because they lacked adequate locator beacons.
The study recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration require helicopters with five or more seats operating over Gulf waters be equipped with externally mounted life rafts and that each passenger and crew member be issued personal flotation devices with water-proof global-position-system-enabled 406 megahertz locator beacons.
To support the recommendation, the study mentions three incidents where helicopters with externally mounted life rafts experienced water landings. All occupants in these accidents survived the initial crash and were able to await rescue in the life rafts.
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The FAA has previously issued Supplemental Type Certificates for externally mounted life rafts manufactured by several companies. Only one company, Apical Industries, now a subsidiary of DART Helicopter Services, manufactures externally mounted life rafts that are integrated with aircraft floats, which are generally mounted to the landing skids. The integrated float/life raft systems are approved for use on most of the helicopters operating in the Gulf.
Apicals life rafts are attached to the aircraft floats and are inflated once the helicopter has landed on the water and the rotors stop turning. The rafts are reversible or may be easily righted and include survival kits. Once inflated, the life rafts are designed to automatically detach from the mooring line and inflation hose if the aircraft sinks.
Helicopters are a principal means of transportation for crews working on offshore oil platforms in the Gulf. The NTSB database includes information on 62 helicopter incidents and accidents between 2000 and 2006 resulting in 38 fatalities and 25 serious injuries.
The NTSB Safety Recommendation describes several accidents where the passengers and crew were unable to retrieve life rafts stored within the cabin because the aircraft sank immediately after hitting the water. In one instance, the passengers and crew were able to exit the helicopter but did not retrieve the life raft from under a passenger seat. The inverted helicopter remained afloat for six hours after the incident, prompting one of the survivors to deflate his PFD and re-enter the cabin three times trying unsuccessfully to locate the life raft.
The NTSB Safety Recommendation can be seen at: http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2007/A07_87_88.pdf
DART Helicopter Services LLC (www.darthelicopterservices.com), is a privately held Sales, Marketing and Manufacturing company whose primary focus is
developing innovative STC'd products and creating sales networks for aerospace manufacturers who are looking to benefit from DART's global marketing network and sales channel.
DART is the logical choice for rotary wing operators who are seeking a supplier with a comprehensive product line and superior customer support. DART'S affiliated
companies, DART Aerospace Inc. and Apical Industries Inc. own over 300 STC's and manufacture over 500 products. With its highly trained and knowledgeable North
American and International sales team, DART Helicopter Services distributes more than 1300 aftermarket products to over 120 countries. For further information, please call
N. American Sales 1 (800) 556 4166 or 1 (613) 632 3336 or Int'l Sales 1 (246) 420 7282
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