Safety

Medical chopper crash may bolster FAA regulation proposal

Hospital Safety Connection, November 18, 2009

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Yet another medical helicopter crashed has killed people, this time near the California-Nevada state line.
 
A pilot, nurse, and paramedic on board the aircraft perished in the crash, which occurred in Hallelujah Junction, CA, on Saturday. The helicopter fell shortly after taking off from Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. No patient was aboard the chopper at the time.
 
As of earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had not determined the cause of the crash, the Gazette-Journal reported.
 
This past spring, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it intends to publish new rules for hospital emergency medical service flights. The FAA hopes to have a preliminary version of the rulemaking available for public comment by late 2009 or early 2010.
 
At least 10 fatal medical flight accidents have occurred since December 2007, killing 38 people, including the Reno crash. The NTSB has been pushing the FAA to enforce more aggressive medical flight regulations.
 
Hospital Safety Center subscribers can read more about the FAA’s plans by clicking here.



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