Report on the accident to Eurocopter EC225 LP Super Puma, G-REDU near the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) Central Production Facility Platform in t

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/1-2011%20G-REDU.pdf

Report on the accident to Eurocopter EC225 LP Super Puma, G-REDU near the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) Central Production Facility Platform in the North Sea on 18 February 2009



The Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) notified the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the accident at 1912 hrs on 18 February 2009 and the investigation commenced the following day.
In accordance with established international arrangements, the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA) of France, representing the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft, appointed an Accredited Representative and was supported by additional investigators from Eurocopter. The operator co?operated with the investigation and provided expertise as required.

Prior to this Final Report, the AAIB published Special Bulletins on 24 March 2009 and 23 June 2009.

Twenty-seven Safety Recommendations have been made.

The helicopter departed Aberdeen Airport at 1742 hrs on a scheduled flight to the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP). The flight consisted of three sectors, with the first landing being made, at night, on the ETAP Central Production Facility Platform. Weather conditions at the platform deteriorated after the aircraft departed Aberdeen; the visibility and cloud base were estimated as being 0.5 nm and 500 ft respectively. At 1835 hrs the flight crew made a visual approach to the platform during which the helicopter descended and impacted the surface of the sea. The helicopter remained upright, supported by its flotation equipment which had inflated automatically. All those onboard were able to evacuate the helicopter into its liferafts and they were successfully rescued by air and maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) assets.

The investigation identified the following causal factors:

1. The crew’s perception of the position and orientation of the helicopter relative to the platform during the final approach was erroneous. Neither crew member was aware that the helicopter was descending towards the surface of the sea. This was probably due to the effects of oculogravic[1] and somatogravic[2] illusions combined with both pilots being focussed on the platform and not monitoring the flight instruments.

2. The approach was conducted in reduced visibility, probably due to fog or low cloud. This degraded the visual cues provided by the platform lighting, adding to the strength of the visual illusions during the final approach.

3. The two radio altimeter-based audio-voice height alert warnings did not activate. The fixed 100 ft audio-voice alert failed to activate, due to a likely malfunction of the Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS), and the audio-voice element of the selectable 150 ft alert had been suspended by the crew. Had the latter not been suspended, it would also have failed to activate. The pilots were not aware of the inoperative state of the TAWS.

The investigation identified the following contributory factors:

1. There was no specified night visual approach profile on which the crew could base their approach and minimum heights, and stabilised approach criteria were not specified.

2. The visual picture on final approach was possibly confused by a reflection of the platform on the surface of the sea.

An oculogravic illusion is a visual illusion that affects the apparent position of an object in the visual field. A full explanation is provided in Appendix A and B to this report.

[2] A somatogravic illusion is a non-visual illusion that produces a false sensation of helicopter attitude. A full explanation is provided in Appendix A and B to this report.

Alternating Days of Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure (IHE) on Physical and Cognitive Performance

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA543164&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Alternating Days of Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure (IHE) on Physical and Cognitive Performance
Zupan, Michael F. ; Lennemann, Lynette M. ; Herrera, Monica ; Walker, Thomas B.

Rapid deployments do not allow our airmen to slowly progress to high altitudes, so predeployment strategies for the optimal use of hypoxic tents need to be developed. The primary objective of this study was to determine if alternating days of intermittent normobaric hypoxic exposures (IHE) for previously unacclimatized, sea-level residents (SLR) would work as a training strategy to minimize physical and cognitive impairments, and possibly reduce acute mountain sickness (AMS) incidence in our battlefield airmen during deployment. A secondary objective was to compare the physical and cognitive performance results between normobaric hypoxic and hypobaric hypoxic conditions. We conducted a crossover style, randomized study to assess the efficacy of IHE on physical and cognitive performance decrements. Baseline physical tests were conducted at SL, normobaric hypoxic (NH), and hypobaric hypoxic (HH) environments. Subjects were randomly assigned to either five consecutive (C-IHE) or five alternating (A-IHE) days of IHE. All tests were repeated post-IHE exposure. Following a four-week washout interval, all subjects repeated the process again under the opposite IHE exposure schedule. Intra-subject differences between training regimens (C-IHE vs. A-IHE) and the three environments (SL vs. NH vs. HH) were analyzed. Seven well-conditioned (average VO2 max = 57 mL-1.Kg-1.min) male subjects (30.4 ? 8.7 yrs) completed the study. Significant physiological differences in VO2 max (p<0.001) and oxygen saturation (p<0.01) between SL and NH or HH were observed. There were no significant differences in the HH environment for any performance variables following C-IHE and A-IHE training regimens. A-IHE produces the same altitude adaptations as C-IHE, which may allow our battlefield airmen to better prepare themselves for moderate altitude (MA) deployments.
Descriptors : *HYPOXIA, STRATEGY, PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), COGNITION, ALTITUDE SICKNESS, OXYGEN, EXPOSURE(PHYSIOLOGY), DEPLOYMENT, AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

A 2011 Risk/Benefit Analysis of the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA550246&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
A 2011 Risk/Benefit Analysis of the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program
Master's thesis

Davis, Karla L

Safety, efficacy, and legal concerns surrounded the Department of Defense (DoD) Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP) in the early and mid-2000s. Production capacity, patient refusals, and legal injunctions limited vaccine delivery during this time period. Since 2007, the Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) has been administered to all service members deploying to high-risk areas except those medically or administratively exempt. This thesis evaluates the current AVIP in terms of associated risks and benefits. Aggregate data from long-term studies and review by multiple scientific organizations, both within and external to the DoD, suggest that the AVA is both safe and efficacious. The DoD has tailored the current AVIP policy to protect forces with anticipated high exposure risk. This tailored vaccination policy minimizes vaccine-associated risk for individuals and for the force. Current AVIP benefits for individuals and for force protection outweigh the risks. As risks and benefits change over time, ongoing assessment is essential to ensure that individual and force health promotion are optimized. Continuing long-term scientific safety and efficacy research, ongoing educational efforts, and recognition of patient concerns are essential for the continued success of the AVIP and other force protection programs. Descriptors : *BACILLUS ANTHRACIS, *BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS, *DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, *IMMUNIZATION, *POLICIES, *RISK ANALYSIS, *VACCINES, ADSORPTION, ANTHRAX, COSTS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, HEALTH, HISTORY, MILITARY PERSONNEL, SAFETY, THESES

The United States Army Medical Department Journal. July - September 2011

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA548321&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

The United States Army Medical Department Journal. July - September 2011

The articles in this issue cover the gamut of force health protection concerns, from extensive research studies and surveillance, to solutions for potential threats. As you read this AMEDD Journal, you will be impressed and educated by the breadth and depth of this vital work and vigilance that are never-ending, mostly behind the scenes. Their success is reflected in an absence of disease and injury, and the improved health of us all. For this these medical professionals have truly earned our respect and gratitude, both for what they have done, and what they will do to protect our most valuable asset, the Warriors who defend our nation and our way of life.
Descriptors : *ARMY, *MILITARY MEDICINE, *PUBLIC HEALTH, ARMY PERSONNEL, CULICIDAE, ENTOMOLOGY, EXERCISE(PHYSIOLOGY), HEALTH, MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES, PHYSICAL FITNESS, WATER SUPPLIES

Predicting Individual Differences in Response to Sleep Loss

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA549152&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Research Information Bulletin (3 pages)

Predicting Individual Differences in Response to Sleep Loss

Fatigue resulting from poor or insufficient sleep is commonplace in the modern military. Previous work at this laboratory sought to validate the use of noninvasive eye-tracking (PMI FIT 2000) and cognitive (FlightFit) performance tests to detect individual impairment due to fatigue in a military population (see technical report: DTIC ADA522106). Over the course of 25 hours of continual wakefulness in a laboratory setting, eye-tracking measures of saccadic velocity (eye movement speed) and cognitive performance (attention shifting) were highly sensitive to the effects of fatigue. A recent study further validated eye-tracking and cognitive performance measures for detecting individual differences in fatigue resistance under chronic, cumulative sleep loss conditions. The study employed a chronic sleep restriction protocol, in which 4 hours of sleep were allowed each 24-hour period. Significant fatigue effects were observed on multiple components of the eye-tracker and on a flight simulator task (cognitive performance data analyses are ongoing). Analyses also revealed significant individual differences across time for saccadic velocity and flight simulator performance. Studying realistic, chronic fatigue conditions on an individual level is a step in the right direction for operational research. The ultimate goal of this line of research is the development and transition of individualized predictive fatigue models which improve upon the predictive accuracy of current tools, increasing the safety and efficiency of crew scheduling.
Descriptors : *ATTENTION, *COGNITION, *EYE MOVEMENTS, *FATIGUE(PHYSIOLOGY), *FLIGHT SIMULATORS, *PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), *SLEEP DEPRIVATION, FLIGHT CREWS, NAVAL PERSONNEL, PERFORMANCE TESTS, PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS, PREDICTIONS, REACTION TIME, SCHEDULING, TRACKING