Recommendation Date
Recipient Name
CAA
Text
On 26 February 2025, the Commission recommended that the Director of Civil Aviation at the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand use the lessons from this report to raise awareness for helicopter pilots of the risks associated with inadvertently entering flight conditions that are conducive to Vortex Ring State.
Reply Text
CAA accepts the importance of using lessons learned to continue to raise awareness of helicopter pilots of the risks associated with inadvertently entering flight conditions that are conducive to VRS. CAA notes this topic is already comprehensively covered in existing helicopter pilot training syllabi, operational manuals, and flight standards. The CAA also notes awareness already raised through additional reports, publications and workshops . This recommendation is ‘Under Consideration’, the CAA will continue to raise awareness regarding VRS awareness as and when new information becomes available.
On 14 May 2025, CAA provided an update:
As of 13 May 2025, the CAA has reassessed its position and now considers this recommendation to be ‘Accepted and Implemented’. The CAA recognises the importance of applying lessons learned to raise awareness among helicopter pilots about the risks of inadvertently entering conditions conducive to VRS. The Authority has previously outlined how this topic is addressed through existing materials and outreach channels, and it will continue to update and disseminate VRS-related information as new data becomes available.
On 14 May 2025, CAA provided an update:
As of 13 May 2025, the CAA has reassessed its position and now considers this recommendation to be ‘Accepted and Implemented’. The CAA recognises the importance of applying lessons learned to raise awareness among helicopter pilots about the risks of inadvertently entering conditions conducive to VRS. The Authority has previously outlined how this topic is addressed through existing materials and outreach channels, and it will continue to update and disseminate VRS-related information as new data becomes available.
Related Investigation(s)