​The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that there were more than 140 civil helicopter accidents in 2008, with nearly 30 of them proving to be fatal. This led to an accident rate of 3.67 per 100,000 flying hours and 1.22 per 100,000 departures. International statistics show that over 35% of the helicopter accidents occur in this country alone. For every 100,000 miles traveled in flight, a helicopter has a 40% greater likelihood of an accident than your average aircraft used for passengers and cargo. As accidents are continually on the rise, researchers note that in order to improve the safety on the fleet is to be more aware of what is taking place in the cockpits of the helicopters. The ability of the pilot to control the helicopter determines the safety, or lack thereof, of the occupants on board. When poor judgment is present, lives are placed at risk. Time and time again individuals are becoming the victims of human error in helicopter crashes.

Unfortunately, these accidents almost always lead to severe, life-threatening injuries. Although the majority of people don’t think about helicopters when they think of aviation accidents, the helicopter accident rate in the US is 30 percent higher than general aviation accidents. Because of this the growing popularity of helicopter travel has contributed to a higher rate of helicopter accidents.