| Abstract |
During the 18-month period between January 1, 1992, and June 30, 1993, there were six helicopter crashes associated with helicopter logging operations in Alaska, resulting in nine fatalities and ten severe non-fatal injuries. As there were only an estimated 25 helicopters and 50 pilots flying in helicopter logging operations in Alaska at that time, these surveillance data showed that Alaska helicopter logging pilots had an extraordinary high crash rate of 16% annually, and a catastrophic fatality rate of 5,000/100,000/year for that interval of time. On July 8, 1993, the authors convened an emergency meeting of the Alaska Interagency Working Group for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries. The Working Group developed consensus safety recommendations and assisted in implementing immediate improvements in the oversight of this industry. This intervention was relatively successful: since, then, through year-end 1997, there has been one additional crash, with one fatality, from helicopter logging in Alaska. |
