United States Department of Transportation
i
Rotorcraft Wire Strike Prevention and Protection: Wire Database Creation, Sensor Package Design, Wire Cutter Modeling, Data Fusion, and Helicopter Operators’ Inputs
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2023-02-01
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[PDF-7.62 MB]
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Edition:Final Report
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Abstract:Wire strikes have been one of the most common sources of helicopter accidents in the past seven years. The sizes of poles and wires make it difficult for rotorcraft pilots to see them in-flight. This motivates the need to provide pilots with various tools and information to prevent accidents related to wire strikes. In this report, we present different ways to enhance the safety of helicopters when operating at altitudes where wire strikes are possible. The first way enables the prediction of the wire grid from street view and satellite imagery using deep learning techniques. The outcome is a dataset of predicted wire locations that may be displayed in 2D or 3D on moving maps of electronic flight bags or in the cockpit avionics. The second way of preventing rotorcraft wire strikes is the development of a 360-degree radar system able to detect wires in-flight at a minimum distance of 50’ from any part of the rotorcraft. The third way is to fuse the information from the predicted wire database with the measured data from the sensor in order to improve the predicted wire locations in real time. A fourth way is to develop a new wire cutter system able to cut various sizes of cables when installed on lightweight helicopters. To do so, we develop a physics-based modeling and simulation environment where various types of helicopters, wires, and cutter systems may be implemented and assessed. Finally, a questionnaire was created and distributed to helicopter operators to determine how to prevent wire strike incidents and accidents based on their operational experience.
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