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Editor: James T. Crouse
Profession: Aviation Accident Attorney

Category: Helicopter Crashes

In January, 2006, after a lengthy 18 month study brought on by a high number of fatal crashes, the NTSB called for new safety standards in the medical transportation aviation industry.

"It is disturbing when you see that number of accidents in a three-year period, particularly in a profession whose mission is to save lives," NTSB acting chairman Mark Rosenker said.

After this investigation, the NTSB's key recommendations were to require all emergency service companies to install onboard technology that would alert pilots to rapidly approaching objects below - such as buildings and mountains, to shorten the pilot work hours, and to require risk assessments of weather and flying conditions before taking off. The competition between firms for jobs can often lead to higher risks taking than higher safety standards. The NTSB also stated the status of the patient should not enter into the decision whether or not to fly - that decision should be based on risk assessments alone.

At that time the FAA stated it had no timetable for acting on the recommendations of the NTSB - some of which would require many of the steps the FAA had began to encourage.

The FAA stated the installation of the terrain-awareness equipment would be $30,000 but according to the president of the Association of Air Medical Services in 2006, it could cost as much as $250,000 per helicopter which costs about $2 million each. Gee, Frieda wonders how much the families of those killed in air ambulance crashes would value their loved one's lives. It would seem better to have less aircraft properly equipped to further insure the lives of the patients they are trying to save, than to risk the lives of all on board to save money. Even if the higher figure is correct, that would mean a company could properly equip 4 helicopters they already have instead of buying a new one and they run less risk of losing their current inventory and lives. Two years and how many lives have been lost due to the lack of mandates and no timetable from the FAA?

Found in USA TODAY - "Air-Ambulance Crashes Trigger FAA's Attention" Does this mean the FAA now has an idea of a timetable to act on recommendations made both in 2005 by a USA TODAY investigation and in early 2006 after the NTSB investigation? How many have lost their lives in these three years?

"The recent spate of accidents has the FAA's Full attention" stated a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. FINALLY ! !

All the recent crashes are similar to a pattern that prompted the 2006 NTSB review - they were at night and in places where there was limited visibility and very little reference to a horizon, making the possibility of spatial disorientation a potential cause. The NTSB is monitoring all these recent investigations to see if they are indeed related to the recommendations make in 2006.

Feeling that most crashes are preventable, the recommendations made in 2006 were for better technology and new rules to force pilots to be more cautious - especially at night and in poor weather. The FAA states the new technology has been difficult to put into place - WHY??? - and none of the pilots was wearing night vision goggles.

Frieda wonders why we, the American people, are funding an agency designed to help keep us safe - it is called a Safety Board after all - and no one follows their recommendations - including the other agency that is designed to act on these recommendations and to mandate safety features, devices, and regulations. Perhaps this helicopter crash in Texas over the weekend will bring enough pressure on all the agencys and companies involved in this industry to make the needed safety changes - then these lives lost will not have been totally in vain.