Fundamentals of Helicopter Accident Investigation

Professional Education Course (PEC)
Instructor: Jack Cress

Price by Jan. 12: $490 Member | $720 Nonmember
Price after Jan. 12: $635 Member | $925 Nonmember

This course introduces National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reporting requirements and discusses the history and primary categories of US and international helicopter accident causal factors. Using case studies, the course will focus on aerodynamically oriented causes, including hover performance, downwind effects, forward-flight transition, rotor-system characteristics, high-speed phenomena, descent issues (vortex ring state and autorotation), and ground issues (rollover and resonance). Turboshaft engine factors may also be addressed. A computer notebook and USB are provided.

Learning Objectives: By the conclusion of the course, participants will have learned:

• Common causal factors involved in helicopter accidents and incidents
• Performance considerations for helicopter rotor systems
• Procedures and techniques for investigating helicopter accidents and incidents.

Instructor Bio

Jack (John) Cress is the principal of Vortechs Helicopter Analytics, serving as an investigator and educator. He was a career aviator in the US Marine Corps, with nearly 25 years of military service. His 4,000 hours of flying experience is predominantly in helicopters. He has aircraft maintenance experience at the organizational, intermediate, and depot levels and has served as a military aircraft program manager (PMA-226) within the US Naval Air Systems Command. He has considerable experience teaching aerodynamics and elements of structural failure analysis to military and civilian groups, with application of those disciplines to aircraft accident investigation. He has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in the same field from the Naval Postgraduate School.