Student Pilot Slightly Injured In Latest Of A String Of Accidents

The safety record of Upper Limit flight school in Salt Lake City has come into question following an accident Wednesday afternoon.

The aircraft with an instructor and a student on board was returning to South Valley Regional Airport shortly after noon when the instructor executed an emergency landing. The student suffered a minor head injury and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. A statement on the company website indicates that "an Upper Limit Aviation aircraft experienced a loss of power while in the traffic pattern at South Valley Regional Airport. The pilot executed an emergency landing, and the aircraft sustained what appears to be substantial damage. There are no injuries, and both passengers are OK.  FAA has been notified."

The incident was the 7tn involving a helicopter belonging to Upper Limit in the same number of years, according to a report in the Desert News. None of those accidents caused serious injury, but it has made some people question the safety procedures followed by the school. The paper reports that a former maintenance worker has accused the company's owner of asking him to falsify evidence in one incident. A spokeswoman for the company said that it had never altered evidence in an accident, and called the mechanic making the accusation a "disgruntled former employee" who was fired for "incompetence and low levels of performance."

The FAA said that the school had not been subject to any fines, sanctions, or other actions. But FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said "Safety is always the FAA's top priority. Any operator that's involved in multiple accidents in a relatively short period is going to get heightened attention from us."

The school has been accredited by Accrediting Commission of Career Schools And Colleges since 2009. It provides helicopter instruction for Salt Lake Community College.

FMI: www.ulaheli.com, www.nstb.gov