Analysis of U.S. Civil Rotorcraft Accidents Caused by Vehicle Failure or Malfunction, 1998 - 2004

This paper investigates civil rotorcraft accidents including those involving loss of engine power, loss of control and airframe/component/system failure/malfunction during the period of 1998 to 2004. A comparison of some statistical data with an earlier NASA report is made to determine trends in rotorcraft accidents over the past 40 years. Specifically, this paper concentrates on mechanical component failure or malfunction and an effort is made to identify the vulnerable system or subsystem/components in a helicopter. The objective of this paper is to offer insights on how to improve the performance of current and future Integrated Mechanical Health and Usage Monitoring System (IMHUMS) on modern civil helicopters.