21 January 2020
Dear Member,
I suspect many of you have had little or no break over the past few weeks.
Again, the AHIA acknowledges with pride the ongoing outstanding work by all involved in the efforts to bring the fires under control and in supporting the many devastated communities.
08 November 2019
DURABILITY ISSUES LYCOMING 0-320, 0-360 AND 0-540 ENGINES FITTED TO ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R22 AND R44 MODELS
Dear Industry Member,
In mid-2018 several members raised significant concerns with the AHIA board about the high failure rate of cylinders and valves in Robinson R22’s and Raven 1’s in the Northern regions of Australia.
At the time CASA had convened a group called the Northern fuel stake holders group to discuss the issues raised by industry, the AHIA CEO attended the last of the groups meetings and reported to the board that the outcomes were non effective and the issues were serious and had the potential for affecting the ongoing safe operations of the piston engine fleet in Northern Australia. At the time the AHIA board agreed that the issue should be elevated to a very high priority of the associations tasks and formulated an independent panel of experts to investigate the cause of the engine durability issues. The scope for the expert panel was to investigate every aspect and component of the engines operation including the environmental aspects and all consumables use in the engines operation.
The voluntary work carried out by the panel has provided excellent findings and recommendations for the major stake holders in the operation and supply chain associated with these engine types. The research has also highlighted the detailed operational data for operators of these aircraft to see how these engines perform internally in various ambient conditions and with variations to oil and fuel grades.
I would like to congratulate the panel for their excellent work and tenacity and determination to find the root cause of the excessive failure rates of the engine cylinders. The report will provide solid evidence for owners and operators to make changes to their practises where possible to ensure their operations remain safe and viable.
Thank you for your continued support of the association, it allows us to carry out this important work to ensure a safe and healthy industry.
Ray Cronin
President AHIA
24 May 2018
In an effort to encourage precautionary landings, aviation focussed organisations are encouraging helicopter pilots to 'don't push it, land it' if they encounter an abnormal situation while in flight.
Jointly developed and supported by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA), 'Don't push it, land it' is safety messaging to encourage all helicopter pilots, no matter their experience or the type of helicopter they fly, to make a precautionary landing if they experience a situation that just isn't right.
ATSB Chief Commissioner, Mr Greg Hood, said making an early decision to land during the onset of an abnormal situation will reduce the likelihood of an accident from happening.
