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Abstract:
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Helicopters play a vital role in transporting workers to and from oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. With over 7000 daily offshore helicopter operations and no onsite radars, air travel can be challenging, especially during bad weather with low ceilings and visibilities. During 2000-2009, work related fatalities in the Gulf were 7 times higher than the rest of the United States. Transportation is the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the Gulf, with helicopter accidents accounting for 75% the total. In a joint agreement with, Helicopter Association International, helicopter operators and oil platform companies, the Federal Aviation Administration has deployed Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), ADS-B , a NextGen technology to the Gulf. ADS-B provides radar-like surveillance in the Gulf similar to flying over land. Using recent accident data, statistics and accounting for historical trend, this paper assesses the effectiveness of ADS-B in terms of safety. Furthermore, recent Gulf accident rates are compared to nationwide historical helicopter accident rates to assess the ability of ADS-B to reduce air transport fatalities nationwide.
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