From 2008 to 2021, 48 helicopter accidents have involved Vortex Ring State (VRS) encounters in the United States. Vortex Ring State is still a misunderstood phenomenon, which is challenging to identify and recover from. Currently, two competing recovery techniques are taught to pilots: the Traditional and the Vuichard recoveries. This paper presents initial steps in comparing these techniques. A first approach relies on online scenario-based simulations in an S76 flight simulator to determine pilots' decision-making process during a VRS encounter and their ability to recover. These scenarios are designed based on an analysis of VRS accident reports from the 13 biggest helicopter-operating countries.
Eleni Sotiropoulos-Georgiopoulos, Alexia Payan, Charles Johnson, and Dimitri Mavris, “A Comparison of Traditional And Vuichard Vortex Ring State Recovery Techniques Using On Line Simulation,” VFS Forum 79, 16-18, May 2023, West Palm Beach, FL http://dx.doi.org/10.4050/F-0079-2023-18154