Just a Couple Days Ago, the President of the Helicopter Association International, Roy

Comments of Ed Newton Vice Chairman, Helicopter Association International For “Wrap Up” Session at The International Helicopter Safety Conference

JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO, ROY RESAVAGE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, STOOD UP HERE AND SAID THAT HAI WAS PROUD TO BE A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS SYMPOSIUM.

ROY HAD TO LEAVE-----BUT I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THE ENTIRE SYMPOSIUM AND I’LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, THAT HAI IS EVEN PROUDER TO BE PART OF THIS FORUM TODAY. IT’S BEEN PRODUCTIVE AND EXCITING.

OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS, I HAVE ATTENDED A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL PRESENTATIONS AT THIS SYMPOSIUM.

THE MILITARY PRESENTERS WERE PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE TO ME BECAUSE I LEFT ARMY AVIATION IN 1973, AND I ENJOYED SEEING HOW FAR THEIR SAFETY PROGRAMS HAVE COME.

AS A PILOT, I WAS PLEASED TO SEE STEVE FINGER OF SIKORSKY AND MIKE BLAKE OF BELL HELICOPTER ADDRESS THE ATEENDEES, I APPRECIATED THEIR COMMITMENT, AS OEMS, TO IMPROVING THE HELICOPTER SAFETY RECORD.

WE HEARD SIMILAR COMMITMENTS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA AND FROM TRANSPORT CANADA; FROM THE FAA AND THE B.E.A OF FRANCE AMONG OTHERS. THEY HAVE ALL SHOWN COMMENDABLE SUPPORT FOR IMPROVING THE SAFETY RECORD OF THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY.

THE COMMITMENT IS THERE.

(PAUSE)

NOW WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.

THIS PAST SUMMER, THE WEST CHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT IN WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK HELD A JOB FAIR. THE GOAL WAS TO EXPOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO THE AVIATION INDUSTRY.

1 THE EASTERN REGION HELICOPTER COUNCIL ----AN INDUSTRY GROUP COMPRISED OF HELICOPTER OPERATORS IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA TOOK PART IN THAT FAIR.

ONE OF THE “HOOKS” THE COUNCIL USED TO ATTRACT STUDENTS TO THEIR BOOTH WAS A DRAWING FOR ONE FREE HOUR OF FLIGHT INSTRUCTION AND A FREE HELICOPTER TOUR OF MANHATTAN.

AFTER THE FAIR WAS OVER, THE DRAWING WAS HELD AND TWO STUDENT WINNERS WERE NOTIFIED. BOTH SETS OF PARENTS REFUSED TO ALLOW THEIR KIDS TO ACCEPT THE AWARDS BECAUSE “HELICOPTERS AREN’T SAFE”.

IT TOOK EIGHT DRAWINGS BEFORE A SET OF PARENTS WERE FOUND WHO WOULD GIVE THEIR PERMISSION FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO ACCCEPT THE FREE PRIZES.

THEN, ONE WEEK LATER, A SIGHTSEEING B-206L AND A CORPORATE S- 76C+ CRASHED INTO THE EAST RIVER.

NOW, WE CAN’T GIVE THOSE FREE FLIGHTS AWAY!!

THAT IS THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF HELICOPTERS---“THEY ARE UNSAFE.”

I SUBMIT THAT THIS PERCEPTION IS NOT CORRECT----THAT HELICOPTERS ARE SAFE.

BUT I DO AGREE THAT THEY CAN---- AND SHOULD ----AND MUST---BE SAFER

WE CANNOT ACCEPT ACCIDENTS.

I KNOW THAT YOU AGREE OR YOU WOULDN’T BE HERE. IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT ALL THE ATTENDEES HAVE A REAL LOVE FOR HELICOPTERS, A REAL PASSION FOR SAFETY AND A REAL COMMITMENT TO RISK MANAGEMENT IN HELICOPTER OPERATIONS.

OF COURSE, IT’S ALSO OBVIOUS THAT A LOT OF FOLKS FROM THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY ARE NOT HERE. THEY ARE NOT ATTENDING THIS —OR ANY OTHER SAFETY SYMPOSIUM---YET THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT RATE AND THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF HELICOPTER SAFETY,

(PAUSE)

2 ALL HELICOPTER ACCIDENTS IMPACT ALL HELICOPTER OPERATIONS.!!

WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T HERE----THE WAY THAT GENERAL JOE SMITH REACHED OUT TO THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HE NEEDED TO REACH AND WE NEED TO CONVINCE THEM THAT SAFETY IS NOT A FOUR LETTER WORD.

WE NEED TO FIND THE RIGHT MESSAGE---AND THE RIGHT WAY TO DELIVER IT TO GET THE ENTIRE HELICOPTER COMMUNITY INVOLVED.

(PAUSE)

AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAINTAIN THE COMMITMENT AND THE MOMENTUM WE HAVE DEVELOPED AT THIS SYMPOSIUM!!

AS WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS, THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF RECOMMENDATIONS ----

---THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED WORLD WIDE ----THAT COULD CUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE HELICOPTER OPERATOR SPECTRUM------AND WHICH, IF EMBRACED BY “ALL” OPERATORS COULD SUCCEED IN LOWERING RISK AND THEREBY REDUCE ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES IN OUR INDUSTRY.

SO, YES, I BELIEVE THAT A WORKING GROUP SIMILAR TO THE CAST WORKING GROUP SHOULD BE FORMED AND THAT THIS GROUP SHOULD BE CHARGED TO DEVELOP A RANGE OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL APPEAL TO EVERYONE IN TERMS OF SIMPLE LOGIC AND IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS.

LATER ON, WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS COMMITTEE DON’T JUST GET STUCK ON SOME SHELF SOMEWHERE THEY NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED.

RIGHT NOW, WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY FOCUS ON A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT IN OUR METRICS. RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS WE NEED THE DATA, WE NEED TO AGREE ON WHAT WE ARE MEASURING AND HOW WE ARE MEASURING IT.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE----YOU CAN’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING.

AND THEN WE HAVE TO GET GOING.

3 AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PRESENTATIONS MADE DURING THIS SYMPOSIUM, THERE IS PLENTY OF “LOW HANGING’ FRUIT” OUT THERE----- PLENTY OF WAYS WE CAN MAKE MAJOR GAINS WITH SMALL FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS THROUGH BETTER RISK MANAGEMENT AND BETTER TRAINING.

WE HAVE HEARD A LOT OF THEM ALREADY.

BETTER LEADERSHIP,

CHANGING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

-- IMPROVING JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING OF OUR PILOTS AND MECHANICS, (HUMAN FACTORS)

BETTER EVENT REPORTING, RECORD KEEPING AND INFORMATION SHARING TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME ACCIDENTS.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE DECISIONS WILL GET HARDER AS WE MOVE DOWN THE LIST. THE CHOICES WILL GET TOUGHER----BUT WE NEED TO START MOVING NOW.

(PAUSE)

THIS SYMPOSIUM HAS BEEN VERY PRODUCTIVE. IT HAS GOTTEN US TALKING ABOUT CHANGE----THINKING ABOUT SAFETY. NOW IT IS TIME TO MOVE TO THE NEXT PLATEAU-----DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

AND, IN THE PROCESS, WE CAN MAKE HELICOPTERS SAFER.

AND WHEN WE DO, THOSE PARENTS WILL BE BEGGING US TO LET THEIR KIDS FLY ON OUR HELICOPTERS. THAT’S OUR CHALLENGE.