U.S. Helicopter Safety Team Press Release | February 17, 2021
Estimated reading time 8 minutes, 28 seconds.
Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions leading to pilot spatial disorientation continue to be a leading cause of fatal helicopter accidents. From 2000 to 2019 in the United States, there were 130 fatal accidents directly linked to the issue of spatial disorientation. These accidents occurred regardless of pilot experience and they cut across all industries, including emergency medical services, law enforcement, tour operations, utility flights, corporate flying and personal/private flights.
“For decades, studies, articles, research papers, and discussions have been published theorizing why accidents related to degraded visual environments consistently occur and it has been hard to find clear answers that can slow or stop these tragic accidents,” explains Nick Mayhew, industry co-chair of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team. “In part, the accidents stem from