U.S. Helicopter Accident 
Rates Down in 2014

The U.S. civil helicopter accident and fatal accident rates both declined sharply in 2014, which the United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) says is indicative of stakeholders learning how to better manage risk.

According to figures released in February by the USHST and its parent organization, the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), the civil helicopter accident rate was 3.64 accidents per 100,000 flight hours, a decline of 26.4 percent from 2013’s rate of 4.95 accidents¹ per 100,000 flight hours (Figure 1). The results from 2014 reversed a two-year increasing trend, which saw the accident rate rise from 3.87 per 100,000 flight hours in 2011 to 4.46 in 2012 and, as noted, 4.95 in 2013.