IRON 44: NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATION - CARSON HELICOPTERS

#NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATION

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the
Federal Aviation Administration:

Require that the hover performance charts published by
helicopter manufacturers reflect the true performance of the
helicopter in all conditions for which the charts are
applicable, including light and variable wind conditions.
(A-10-148)

Develop and implement a surveillance program specifically for
14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 operators with
aircraft that can operate both as public aircraft and as civil
aircraft to maintain continual oversight ensuring compliance
with 14 CFR Part 135 requirements. (A-10-149)

Take appropriate actions to clarify Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) authority over public aircraft, as well
as identify and document where such oversight responsibilities
reside in the absence of FAA authority. (A-10-150)

Require the installation of fuel tanks that meet the
requirements of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.952 on S-61
helicopters that are used for passenger transport. (A-10-151)
Require that S-61 helicopters that are used for passenger
transport be equipped with passenger seats and seat mounting
structures that provide substantial improvement over the
requirements of Civil Air Regulations 7.260, such as complying
with portions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.561 and
29.562. (A-10-152)

Require operators of transport-category helicopters to equip
all passenger seats with restraints that have an appropriate
release mechanism that can be released with minimal difficulty
under emergency conditions. (A-10-153)

Require that Advisory Circular 21-34 be used to evaluate all
shoulder harness retrofit installations and to determine that
the installations reduce the risk of occupant injury. (A-10-
154)

Require operators of Sikorsky S-61 helicopters with General
Electric model CT58-140 engines to install 10-micron airframe
fuel filters. (A-10-155)

Require Carson Helicopters, Inc., to put a conspicuous
notification on the title page of the Instructions for
Continuing Airworthiness that accompany its supplemental type
certificate for installing side-mounted seats indicating that
the installation does not provide enhanced occupant protection
over that provided by the originally installed seats and meets
Civil Air Regulations 7.260 standards. (A-10-156)

Require all applicants for supplemental type certificate (STC)
seat installations in any type of aircraft to put a
conspicuous notification on the title page of the Instructions
for Continuing Airworthiness that accompany the STC indicating
whether the installation provides enhanced occupant protection
over that provided by the originally installed seats and the
certification standard level met by the seating system. (A-10-
157)

Require supplemental type certificate (STC) applicants to
improve the crashworthiness design of the seating system,
such as complying with portions of 14 Code of Federal
Regulations 29.561 and 29.562, when granting STC approval
for older transport-category rotorcraft certificated to
Civil Air Regulations 7.260 standards. (A-10-158)

Also, the National Transportation Safety Board reiterates
the following previously issued recommendation to the
Federal Aviation Administration:

Do not permit exemptions or exceptions to the flight
recorder regulations that allow transport-category
rotorcraft to operate without flight recorders, and withdraw
the current exemptions and exceptions that allow transport-
category rotorcraft to operate without flight recorders. (A-
06-18)

Original Source Document: http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2010/A-10-148-158.pdf
The complete recommendation letter is available on the Web
at the URL indicated above.
An archive of recommendation letters is available at
http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/letters.htm .