ABSTRACT

When visibility is poor offshore helicopter operations are prone to accidents. Given that a significant increase in nighttime activities is predicted in the near future, this chapter proposes a systemic approach to identify the factors underlying such accidents. It presents the results of accident analysis, interviews of pilots from five different scenarios, and a review of the literature on performance shaping factors in human reliability analysis (HRA) techniques. The results are used to compile a comprehensive list of the factors that shape the ability of pilots to fly at night in the offshore helicopter domain, thus guiding future data collection and safety interventions.