That’s how I remember the reporting requirements specified under NTSB 830.5:
| F | Flight controls |
| A | Accident |
| C | Crew member illness or injury |
| T | Turbine components |
| I | In-flight fire |
| C | Collision |
| D | Damage to property |
It’s not perfect, since you also have to remember Overdue Aircraft, and it ignores the rules for large multi-engine aircraft (which at this stage in my career just isn’t much of a big deal). Recently, the NTSB added a few new reporting requirements that go into effect March 8, some of which are definitely relevant for rotorcraft operations:
- Failure of any internal turbine engine component that results in the escape of debris other than out the exhaust path;
- Any event in which an aircraft operated by an air carrier lands or departs on a taxiway, incorrect runway, or other area not designed as a runway, or experiences a runway incursion that requires the operator or the crew of another aircraft or vehicle to take immediate corrective action to avoid a collision.
- Release of all or a portion of a propeller blade from an aircraft, excluding release caused solely by ground contact;
- A complete loss of information, excluding flickering, from more than 50 percent of an aircraft’s cockpit displays, known as Electronic Flight Instrument System displays, Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System displays, Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor displays, or other such displays;
- Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) resolution advisories issued either (1) when an aircraft is being operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and compliance with the advisory is necessary to avert a substantial risk of collision between two or more aircraft, or (2) to an aircraft operating in class A airspace;
- Damage to helicopter tail or main rotor blades, including ground damage, that requires major repair or replacement of the blade(s);
So now we have flight control failure, aircraft accident, crew member illness or injury, turbine components other than blades and vanes, in-flight fire, mid-air collision, property damage >$25,000, and overdue aircraft plus turbine debris, propeller breaks, glass cockpit failure, collision avoidance in IFR or class A, helicopter rotor blades, and air carrier runway incursions. How about this one: FACTOR DIM GRunT P
| F | Flight control failure |
| A | Accident |
| C | Crew illness or injury |
| T | TCAS alert in IFR or Class A |
| O | Overdue aircraft |
| R | Rotor blade damaged |
| D | Damage to property |
| I | In flight fire |
| M | Mid-air collision |
| G | Glass cockpit |
| Run | Runway incursion by air carrier |
| T | Turbine components or debris |
| (P) | Propeller |
Anybody got a better idea? Oh, and I’m adding my PPL/CPL/IRH Mnemonics and Memory Aids under the ground school lesson. If you want it as a PDF file, become a contributor to the site, and drop me an email.