Effective Collision Avoidance Systems for Light Helicopters

Helicopter midair collisions have taken a huge toll in the recent past. Three that gained national attention in the past five years are: the collision of two Electronic News Gathering (ENG) helicopters that collided in Phoenix, Arizona; two EMS helicopters that collided in Flagstaff, Arizona; and a tour helicopter that was struck by a light fixed wing aircraft over the Hudson River in New York City. All twenty persons aboard the aircraft involved in these crashes died. These accidents were avoidable; and new technology, based on important features of NextGen, will make collision avoidance for light helicopters a possibility, by being small, lightweight, and affordable – and as effective as TCAS has been for larger, high-performance, transport category, fixed wing aircraft. During transition, there are important safety considerations for helicopter operators – and this paper compares some of the available technology to the NextGen, ADS-B based system that should bring a new level of safety to the light helicopter community.