Aeromedical Crashes/Near Miss Events

SandpitMedic

SandpitMedic

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Due to the nature of the work and the sad truth that these crashes are far too common, combined with related threads that are often spread out among the news, employment, lounge, and HEMS/AMT forums, I have created this thread for all HEMS/AMT adverse events. A single point for discussions related to these events seems to me, while morbid, a way to keep the conversation going to analyze, evaluate, and even critique these incidents. Perhaps someone will come up a solution.

This thread also serves to recognize our brothers and sisters in the industry whom we have lost and for those who have been maimed or disabled. May we always honor and remember them.
 
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Sadly, in the past few months I have found myself on the forum posting of crashes that seem to be monthly or even weekly.

Again today, a LifeMed prop plane (a King Air) crashed into the water shortly after takeoff in rural Alaska. The crew were rescued and transported ot a clinic. Their condition is unknown at this point. Information is still incoming.

www.adn.com

‘Against the odds’: Three safe after medevac plane lands in water during takeoff from Unalaska

LifeMed CEO Russ Edwards said it was unclear what caused the crash after the turboprop had been in the air only “a matter of moments.”
www.adn.com www.adn.com
 
It seems with the more and more helicopters out there, there is always a company or a helicopter willing to make a flight; just keep calling someone will take it.
My PT job has a 2-4 hour transport to Level I, II and III hospitals and there are times that I am borderline ground transporting patients but I have no problems when a helicopter crew refuses to come get them.
We had 1 crew have the state police pick them up and met us on the freeway and rode in with us with a critical patient 2.5 hours into a 5 hour transport that was normally only 2 hours
 
I still think the biggest problem in HEMS is that everywhere, “safety” has about as much value placed on it as a politician’s honesty, and few people actually think of the hazards associated with “getting a bird”.
 
Eh, I work for a company that has won several awards for safety, we havent had a fatal crash in 10 years. Everyone at the two bases Ive worked at take safety serious and the President is known to fly people back if he is not available to talk during their academy training, because he takes safety serious and thats what his speech is about.

We operate with a true 4 to go, 1 to say no.
 
GMCmedic said:
Eh, I work for a company that has won several awards for safety, we havent had a fatal crash in 10 years. Everyone at the two bases Ive worked at take safety serious and the President is known to fly people back if he is not available to talk during their academy training, because he takes safety serious and thats what his speech is about.

We operate with a true 4 to go, 1 to say no.
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What's a 4 to go?
 
GMCmedic said:
Pilot, Nurse, Medic, and Operational control all agree that weather is acceptable for the flight. If any one of those says no the flight doesnt happen.
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Imagine being the one. Will they understand or will everyone be mad? I guess that's pretty opinion based.
 
DragonClaw said:
Imagine being the one. Will they understand or will everyone be mad? I guess that's pretty opinion based.
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Im sure it varies by company and then by base. My base has very good culture and nobody at the base level will question it, we might discuss it and mutually agree that the weather is safe, or we may not take it. Nobody is going to call and force the issue.

While Ive never personally been the only one uncomfortable with with weather, I have called out of service for crew rest and nobody questioned it.
 
DragonClaw said:
Imagine being the one. Will they understand or will everyone be mad? I guess that's pretty opinion based.
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Depends on the company. At my company we may get a quick call from management asking why and if there is anything they can do to help us or ask us if there are other ways of completing the transport, by ground/air/IFR helicopter. We turn down transports all the time for weather. In CA we have the marine layer that comes in and blocks out LA and San Diego almost nightly. We have never had anyone be mad.
 
DesertMedic66 said:
In CA we have the marine layer that comes in and blocks out LA and San Diego almost nightly. We have never had anyone be mad.
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This. However, it’s typically the Bay Area’s year round fog that we brief more on than the SD area.

What’s worse for business than weather turndowns? Preventable CFIT. Most programs seem to have learned this long ago...most.
 
VentMonkey said:
This. However, it’s typically the Bay Area’s year round fog that we brief more on than the SD area.

What’s worse for business than weather turndowns? Preventable CFIT. Most programs seem to have learned this long ago...most.
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Terrain. Terrain. Terrain. I bet that's one of the worst things to hear
 
DragonClaw said:
Imagine being the one. Will they understand or will everyone be mad? I guess that's pretty opinion based.
Click to expand...

As the medic, I turned down a flight once.. I don't really remember the exact circumstances, but I remember it was in the middle of the night, I came out of my bunk, and the pilot was mumbling about the weather while looking at 3 different weather maps and the METAR..

I said "if you have to think that hard about it, I'm a no".. We went back to bed, nothing was ever said about it..
 
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