Aug. 20 —The tragic accident that earlier this month claimed the lives of a 15-month-old infant, her mother, a pilot, a nurse, and a paramedic once again draws attention to the unique risks of air medical services. The King Air crashed under unknown circumstances near Ruidoso, NM, on the evening of Sunday, August 5.
This is the seventh air medical accident to date in 2007. Two of the accidents occurred while operating under Part 91 rules, resulting in three fatalities. The remaining five occurred while operating under Part 135 rules, leading to 11 fatalities. Only two of the accident aircraft were rotorcraft. Five were fixed-wing aircraft.
In February 2007, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report stating that better data collection is necessary for effective oversight of the air ambulance industry. This report is the result of a recent study that was initiated after a number of air ambulance accidents in recent years. These accidents led to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) call for more stringent safety requirements for this part of the industry.
The GAO studied recent trends in the air ambulance industry, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) challenges in providing safety oversight, and recent FAA efforts to address these concerns, as well as the known effects of these efforts. The study concluded that the FAA should develop a systematic approach for gathering and using data pertinent to the air ambulance industry. It also recommended that the FAA collect information from operators to evaluate the effectiveness of recent voluntary FAA guidance.
Click here to view the GAO report and other emergency medical services resources.
