The U.S. helicopter safety team (USHST) last week said the current accident rate of 3.94 accidents per 100,000 flight hours, measured over the first seven months of this year, represents a 51-percent decline compared with the 2001-2005 baseline determined by the International Helicopter Safety Team, the group’s parent organization. These numbers represent a 22-percent reduction compared with the 5.06 rate posted for 2009 alone and a 12-percent reduction from the 4.46 rate posted for 2012.

In addition, the rate of fatal rotorcraft accidents has dropped so far this year compared with 2013, which had showed a troubling upward spike. During the first seven months of this year there were 0.53 fatal helicopter accidents per 100,000 flight hours compared with a rate of 0.86 for all of last year. The decrease is also reflected in the fatality rate. There were 1.79 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours last year compared with 0.91 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours so far in 2014.

“Safety experts at the USHST know that accident data from the rest of the summer has not been gathered yet and there are four months still left in the year, but the results at this time are promising,” said a USHST press release. “A stronger safety culture seems to be growing in the civil helicopter community.”