The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is holding hearings on helicopter safety this week after an alarming number of helicopter crashes in the past six years. At least five have been reported in the United States in the past three months. Due to the extreme vibrations on helicopters they require more frequent maintenance than fixed wing craft. The FAA does not have stricter safety standards in place for helicopters. It’s about time but a shame that it took the loss of so many lives to get the NTSB to conduct these four days of hearings. The board now needs to take immediate action on the safety measures discussed or we will continue to witness more crashes and loss of life.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
