Personal Injury Blog

Fatal Crash Illustrates Need for Medical Helicopter Safety Rules

September 6th, 2011
Medical helicopter safety

The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash.

A fatal medical helicopter crash in Missouri last month that killed four people is once again illustrating to California plane crash lawyers the need for stronger medical helicopter safety rules.

This most recent medical helicopter accident occurred in Mosby, Missouri near Kansas City.  The helicopter with a crew of three on board had been transferring a patient to a hospital in Liberty, Missouri.  The helicopter crashed a mile close to the Midwest National Air Center airport.  The pilot had been apparently trying to refuel at the time the plane went down.  All four people on the helicopter were killed in the crash.

There have been two fatal medical helicopter crashes in 2011.  Questions about medical helicopter safety increased dramatically in 2008, when there was a surge in these crashes.  29 people were killed in fatal medical helicopter accidents that year.  The number of medical helicopter crashes declined in 2009, but in 2010, there was yet another increase.  Last year, there were seven medical helicopter crashes, and these killed 19 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation into the Missouri tragedy.  Specifically, the agency will be looking at whether the helicopter ran out of fuel just before it crashed.  Los Angeles plane crash lawyers know that medical helicopters face more challenges than other aircraft.  For instance, these helicopters are often required to fly at night, and may be required to operate in any kind of weather.  Additionally, takeoff and landing conditions may not always be optimum.  Pilots may not be familiar with landing areas, increasing the risks of a crash.

However, the industry has ignored medical helicopter safety rules over the years.  This is a highly lucrative industry, estimated to be worth about $2.5 billion.  Air ambulances and medical helicopters are an integral part of the nation’s healthcare system.  The helicopters and planes transport about 400,000 patients to hospitals every year.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigation of this crash is not expected to be complete very soon.  However, Los Angeles plane crash lawyers believe that the agency is likely to once again voice its concerns about the safety of the medical helicopter industry.  The National Transportation Safety Board has spoken about his concerns earlier too.

Earlier this year, the agency released a report called Current Issues with Air Medical Transportation: EMS Helicopter Safety.  In the report, the National Transportation Safety Board says that the current medical helicopter accident record is simply not acceptable.  The agency also says that not all air ambulance operators are created equally, and calls on Americans to raise the standard for the safe operation of these helicopters.  The National Transportation Safety Board has several recommendations for making medical helicopters safer.  These include better training for pilots, and better maintenance of infrastructure.

 

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