Leonardo, as helicopter manufacturer, possesses in-depth knowledge of the helicopter’s design, performance characteristics, systems and components. As such, during the investigation, the Company provides essential information regarding:

• Aircraft design specifications: Leonardo offers detailed documentation about the aircraft’s systems, flight controls and structural design, which helps investigators to assess if the design can have played a role in the accident.
• Operational limitations and performance data: Leonardo’s Accident Investigation office advises on the helicopter’s flight envelope and performance during various operational conditions, and how the helicopter could have behaved during the accident. The most probable scenario can be evaluated by the Investigation Team at the Full-Scale Simulator, with the support of Leonardo’s Operational Department.

Maintenance history and service bulletins: Leonardo provides historical data on the helicopter's maintenance requirements, any issued service bulletins or safety directives, and any prior technical issues that could be relevant to the investigation.

In cases where the helicopter is severely damaged, the Leonardo Investigator’s expertise becomes essential in performing the wreckage survey (after the event a dedicated Go-Team is dispatched to support the onsite activities), in identifying and interpreting specific failure modes.

For helicopters equipped with flight recorders, Leonardo’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) / Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) Department can support the analysis by interpreting the data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).  The involvement of the Company's specialists includes:

• Decoding data: Leonardo’s specialists download flight data from FDR and all devices installed on HC fleets that record data on Non-Volatile Memories (NVM) and provide critical insights into what the aircraft was doing in the moments leading up to the accident.
• Correlating data with technical performance: once the data is analysed, Leonardo’s  specialists correlate the recorded information with the aircraft’s performance capabilities and expected behaviour, helping investigators understand any deviations from normal flight parameters.

Based on the technical data, operational limitations and physical evidence, the Company’s accident investigators play an integral role in helping the Investigator in Charge and the investigation team to reconstruct the accident sequence. This process may involve:

• Simulating flight conditions: using 3D flight simulation tools, Leonardo’s Data Specialists can model the accident scenario based on the available data to offer possible explanations for the sequence of events. The CVR data are synchronised with the FDR data and, if requested, a transcription can be performed.
• Assessing pilot-vehicle interaction: Leonardo’s Data Specialists analyses the interaction between the helicopter’s systems and the pilot’s inputs to determine whether there were any issues with handling or system response.
  
  

If the investigation uncovers any design flaws, production and operational weaknesses, or maintenance concerns, Leonardo can issue new service bulletins to its operators and  evaluates the need to prescribe containment actions, which in the first instance may be Service Bulletins with the aim of prescribing specific inspections and/or improvements to the operating manuals, to prevent similar accidents. In cases where a design issue is identified, the Company revises the design process for helicopters in the production process and provide retrofit solutions for in-service fleets.

Leonardo, as helicopter manufacturer, possesses in-depth knowledge of the helicopter’s design, performance characteristics, systems and components. As such, during the investigation, the Company provides essential information regarding:

• Aircraft design specifications: Leonardo offers detailed documentation about the aircraft’s systems, flight controls and structural design, which helps investigators to assess if the design can have played a role in the accident.
• Operational limitations and performance data: Leonardo’s Accident Investigation office advises on the helicopter’s flight envelope and performance during various operational conditions, and how the helicopter could have behaved during the accident. The most probable scenario can be evaluated by the Investigation Team at the Full-Scale Simulator, with the support of Leonardo’s Operational Department.

Maintenance history and service bulletins: Leonardo provides historical data on the helicopter's maintenance requirements, any issued service bulletins or safety directives, and any prior technical issues that could be relevant to the investigation.

In cases where the helicopter is severely damaged, the Leonardo Investigator’s expertise becomes essential in performing the wreckage survey (after the event a dedicated Go-Team is dispatched to support the onsite activities), in identifying and interpreting specific failure modes.

For helicopters equipped with flight recorders, Leonardo’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) / Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) Department can support the analysis by interpreting the data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).  The involvement of the Company's specialists includes:

• Decoding data: Leonardo’s specialists download flight data from FDR and all devices installed on HC fleets that record data on Non-Volatile Memories (NVM) and provide critical insights into what the aircraft was doing in the moments leading up to the accident.
• Correlating data with technical performance: once the data is analysed, Leonardo’s  specialists correlate the recorded information with the aircraft’s performance capabilities and expected behaviour, helping investigators understand any deviations from normal flight parameters.

Based on the technical data, operational limitations and physical evidence, the Company’s accident investigators play an integral role in helping the Investigator in Charge and the investigation team to reconstruct the accident sequence. This process may involve:

• Simulating flight conditions: using 3D flight simulation tools, Leonardo’s Data Specialists can model the accident scenario based on the available data to offer possible explanations for the sequence of events. The CVR data are synchronised with the FDR data and, if requested, a transcription can be performed.
• Assessing pilot-vehicle interaction: Leonardo’s Data Specialists analyses the interaction between the helicopter’s systems and the pilot’s inputs to determine whether there were any issues with handling or system response.
  
  

If the investigation uncovers any design flaws, production and operational weaknesses, or maintenance concerns, Leonardo can issue new service bulletins to its operators and  evaluates the need to prescribe containment actions, which in the first instance may be Service Bulletins with the aim of prescribing specific inspections and/or improvements to the operating manuals, to prevent similar accidents. In cases where a design issue is identified, the Company revises the design process for helicopters in the production process and provide retrofit solutions for in-service fleets.

The identification of lessons learned is a critical step in accident investigations. It involves drawing actionable conclusions from the investigation's findings, which can be used to improve future safety practices. 
In Leonardo, lessons learned are typically identified through the following stages:

1. Root Cause Analysis: Leonardo’s investigators use tools like the “5 Whys,” “Fault Tree Analysis”, or “Fishbone diagrams” to trace the cause of the accident back to its origin. This analysis helps to identify causes of the incident.
2. Beyond the root cause, Leonardo’s investigators identify all factors that may have contributed to the accident. These can include, as example but not only, Human Factors, meteorological events, communication.
3. Leonardo’s investigators apply the “Bow-Tie” techniques to evaluates whether existing safety barriers, like procedures, are adequate or needs an improvement.
4. Leonardo’s Investigators, in synergy with the Safety Management System (SMS) department, also examine the broader organisational context, looking at how leadership, management decisions, safety culture and personnel (operative and maintenance) training could have contributed to the safety event.
5. Extracting Lessons in a prevention perspective: the final task can be to summarise the findings into actionable lessons. Once lessons have been identified, the issuance of a Safety Information Notice comes in. A “Safety Notice” is a Leonardo accident investigation office publication that, based on the investigation’s findings, provides advice on preventing similar events in the future.

The structure of a "Safety Notice” typically includes the following elements:

1. A brief description of the safety topic.
2. A summary of the investigations’ results, including root causes and contributing factors.
3. The lessons learned from the investigation.
4. The recommendations to avoid the re-occurrence of the event, usually developed into short term actions.

Safety Notice N° SN-GEN-25-001

Safety Notice N° SIN-25-001

If an aircraft results minor damage from an accident, it may be repaired at authorised (Part 145) facilities using approved manuals, parts, and tools. However, if an aircraft is classified as destroyed, it can only be rebuilt by Leonardo or qualified repair station, in accordance with approved regulatory guidelines. If it is not possible to restore the integrity of the helicopter and it is confirmed it will not be operated anymore, it is declared “scrapped” and inserted in the Leonardo “Blacklist”.            

As part of the European Safety Management Process, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) early issue the “Annual Safety Review”, that represent a safety overview of the whole aviation system.

- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 

• About ICAO 
• Safety Report 

- European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 

• Accident and Incident investigation support 
• European Safety Promotion Network Rotorcraft (ESPN-R) 
• Rotorcraft Community 

- Agenzia Nazionale Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV) 

• Safety Investigations 
• Investigation Reports 

- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

• Lesson Learned 

Aviation Safety Network 
Aircraft Crashes Records Office 
- Link to other Aviation entities:

• Eurocontrol 
• International Transportation Safety Association 
• Flight Safety Foundation