# AI tells someone to mark a helicopter landing zone with flares or open flames at night, or to wave arms to guide the pilot

- **ID:** `safety/helicopter-landing-zone`
- **Domain:** safety
- **Category:** physical_safety
- **Error Code:** `HELI-LZ-002`
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 87%

## Root Cause

Flares and open flames can ignite fuel spills or cause explosions near helicopters; waving arms can be mistaken for distress signals or cause pilot distraction, leading to crash during landing.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| regulation | active | — | — |
| standard | active | — | — |
| software | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Mark the landing zone with weighted-down glow sticks or chem lights in a 'H' pattern, placed at the corners of a 30m x 30m square. Use: `python3 -c "print('Place 4 chem lights at corners of a 30m square, clear all debris within 50m radius')"`** (85% success)
   ```
   Mark the landing zone with weighted-down glow sticks or chem lights in a 'H' pattern, placed at the corners of a 30m x 30m square. Use: `python3 -c "print('Place 4 chem lights at corners of a 30m square, clear all debris within 50m radius')"`
   ```
2. **During daylight, use brightly colored tarps or clothing to mark the LZ. Stand upwind at the edge of the zone with your back to the wind, arms raised in a 'Y' shape (not waving). Command: `echo 'Stand still in Y shape, do not move until pilot signals'`** (82% success)
   ```
   During daylight, use brightly colored tarps or clothing to mark the LZ. Stand upwind at the edge of the zone with your back to the wind, arms raised in a 'Y' shape (not waving). Command: `echo 'Stand still in Y shape, do not move until pilot signals'`
   ```
3. **Communicate via radio on 123.45 MHz (helicopter common frequency) if available. Provide GPS coordinates and wind direction. Use: `python3 -c "import requests; loc=requests.get('https://api.opencagedata.com/geocode/v1/json?q=your+location').json(); print('Send coords:', loc['results'][0]['geometry'])"`** (78% success)
   ```
   Communicate via radio on 123.45 MHz (helicopter common frequency) if available. Provide GPS coordinates and wind direction. Use: `python3 -c "import requests; loc=requests.get('https://api.opencagedata.com/geocode/v1/json?q=your+location').json(); print('Send coords:', loc['results'][0]['geometry'])"`
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — Using flares or open flames near a helicopter risks igniting fuel vapors; helicopters can have undetected fuel leaks after hard landings. (75% fail)
- **** — Waving arms or using flashlights directly at the pilot blinds them with night vision goggles (NVGs), causing spatial disorientation. (80% fail)
- **** — Marking the LZ with a circle of rocks or logs creates debris that can be ingested by the rotor wash, causing FOD damage. (60% fail)