3 Dead After Medical Helicopter Crashes

[Punisher]

How can your contact know such information? It can take a year or more for the root cause analysis to be reported. My flight company had a crash over a year ago and still no official word on the investigation. He said she said anecdotes are not helpful. Wait for the official investigation and conclusions before throwing out opinions.

Well, it takes that long for the NTSB to issue the report. 9 times out of ten, the investigators will know the likely cause within a week of the crash, but they are simply not allowed to say anything until the formal reports are released.

My contact (a LEO....I grew up in southern Indiana and have worked all over down there so I know people) said that three witnesses reported seeing flames from the engine or an "explosion". That is generally taken to be reliable (there is a reason such things are included in NTSB reports) and given that this is a common finding in mechanical failure crashes it seems logical that the most likely cause of the crash was something along those lines. However, we shall see...as I said, let's not derail the thread any further. I was just repeating what I believe to be credible information.

[chbare]

Well, it takes that long for the NTSB to issue the report. 9 times out of ten, the investigators will know the likely cause within a week of the crash, but they are simply not allowed to say anything until the formal reports are released.

How about we wait for the formal repots to be released?

Take care,

chbare.

[SANDMEDIC]

I agree with chbare.

Until formal reports from OFFICIALS, how about we just focus on our own "situational awareness" keeping ourselves and our partners safe.

Take care all.

[flight-lp]

The dead were Wade Weston (flight paramedic), Sandra Pearson (flight nurse), and the pilot Roger Warren. I used to work with Sandra (assuming it is the same Sandra Pearson)....what a shame to lose such fine professionals....

According to one of my contacts (I conduct aviation safety research as my primary occupation nowadays), the engine experienced some sort of "catastrophic failure". Whether it was an explosion is not clear, but given the similarity between this and the last crash that AirEvac had (December 30, 2007 down in Alabama), I think it says something about the maintenance department of this company. They are at the top (or pretty damn close to it) of most safety advocates' list of operations that need to be overhauled or shut down entirely. And in the aeromedical world of today, that is saying A LOT!

Going against the grain of the common saying, you DO need to quit your day job. Advocation for a safer air medical environment is one thing, but stating an occupation when you clearly show how clueless to research you are is another. The preliminary has not even been released yet, how on earth can you make any assertation to cause. I would also like to know how you have any correlary evidence showing similarity between the two other than the letters on the side of the aircraft. My thought is you are some bandwagon medic who reads a lot. Outside of that, you know jack..................................

BTW bright eyes, the 206 that crashed new years eve has hovering and more than likely suffered a compressor stall and subsequent power loss. As the aircraft was not moving, it was not able to develop lift when the transmission failed. No lift (horizontal or vertical) = no autorotation = accelerated uncontrollable descent into terrain. This one was in level flight, compressor stall not likely.

Yes, the Bell 206 is not an optimal airframe for EMS. Yes in a perfect world, every air medical agency would have all of the bells and whistles available to ensure safety. But its not a perfect world and its a capitalistic money driven industry. That is where the focus of change should be. They died coming back from a PR, they weren't even loaded. That is what is sad about this tragic event.

BTW your "ride the paramedic" slogan just screams professional aviation researcher..............................

[brentoli]

Decatur County - Three people died when a helicopter crashed into a corn field in Decatur County Sunday afternoon.

It happened just before 2 p.m. near County Road 700 West and Base Line Road about six miles west of Greensburg, near the rural area of Burney.

The helicopter was operated by Air Evac Inc., a company that operates a fleet of medical helicopters around the Midwest. According to the company at the FAA, the helicopter was a Bell 206, that worked out of Rushville Hospital.

Air Evac Lifeteam says it's suspending its patient flights following the crash. The delay is so the company can assess flight crews that also flew with the three crew members who were killed.

Air Evac identified the crew as pilot Roger Warren, flight nurse Sandra Pearson, and flight paramedic and base manager Wade Weston. There were no patients on board.

Decatur County Sheriff Daryl Templeton says the helicopter exploded on impact Sunday afternoon.

The crash occurred just after the helicopter left a fundraiser for the Burney Volunteer Fire Department. It was on its way back to Rushville Hospital when it went down.

The NTSB will visit the scene Monday. The investigation could take up to several months before an official cause is determined

WTHR-TV

DECATUR COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - An Air Evac Lifeteam air medical helicopter, based in Rushville was involved in an accident around 1:17 p.m. Sunday killing all three crew members aboard the aircraft.

What looked like a charred farm field was the site of a deadly helicopter crash in Decatur County. It happened between the small towns of Burney and Milford.

The Indiana State Police Helicopter hovered over the cornfield. Emergency workers and the FAA were also on scene.

"Hopefully the pictures we are getting from the state helicopter is going to tell us a lot," Decatur County Sheriff Daryl Templeton said.

Those pictures will show blackened earth and crops but very little of the helicopter that crashed here.

That helicopter was an Air Evac Lifeteam chopper based in Rushville.

"This is a tragic day for us here at Air Evac Lifeteam," said Air Evac Lifeteam President Seth Myers. "These were our family members and we are devastated at this loss. Our focus at this time is on providing support for the family and friends of these crew members."

The three people were pilot Roger Warren, flight nurse Sandra Pearson and flight paramedic and base manager Wade Weston. They had attended a community day in Burney.

"They had a fireman's tractor pull celebration down there and they was down there," Sheriff Templeton said.

The chopper was on display, the crew offered tours but the chopper stayed grounded during the celebration. They only took off to return to home base.

Now investigators want to know if those who attended the community day event witnessed the crash.

"They are anywhere from a half to three fourths of a mile from where it went down," Sheriff Templeton said.

The FAA was on scene, the National Transportation and Safety Board is also investigating.

Report by Gene Rodriguez, WISH-TV. Edited by Jackie Carpenter.

WISH-TV

[Christopher.Collins]

The more of these I hear about, the more I think really hard about the risks involved with flying a chopper...

My patient had *really* better need it before I put a flight crew (and potentially my patient!) at risk. Not just because it's easier... if it doesn't benefit the patient, it doesn't fly.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

Couldnt agree more Wendy. Obviously this dosnt apply nation wide, nor does it always apply in CT but here for the most part you can have your patient in or near a trauma center before the bird will. Their response times arnt poor, its more so that theres two helicopters in the state and depending on where you are your close to a good hospital.

My old department had a discussion about calling the bird... unless it was a long extrication or meets a set critera for medevac there (generally) wasnt a need to call it. We were pretty much central to Yale, Middlesex (closest), L&M and Backus. By the time the patient is airborne our ambulances could pretty much be at any of thoes hospitals.

My thoughts go out to the famalies of the victims.

[SANDMEDIC]

Going against the grain of the common saying, you DO need to quit your day job. Advocation for a safer air medical environment is one thing, but stating an occupation when you clearly show how clueless to research you are is another. The preliminary has not even been released yet, how on earth can you make any assertation to cause. I would also like to know how you have any correlary evidence showing similarity between the two other than the letters on the side of the aircraft. My thought is you are some bandwagon medic who reads a lot. Outside of that, you know jack..................................

BTW bright eyes, the 206 that crashed new years eve has hovering and more than likely suffered a compressor stall and subsequent power loss. As the aircraft was not moving, it was not able to develop lift when the transmission failed. No lift (horizontal or vertical) = no autorotation = accelerated uncontrollable descent into terrain. This one was in level flight, compressor stall not likely.

Yes, the Bell 206 is not an optimal airframe for EMS. Yes in a perfect world, every air medical agency would have all of the bells and whistles available to ensure safety. But its not a perfect world and its a capitalistic money driven industry. That is where the focus of change should be. They died coming back from a PR, they weren't even loaded. That is what is sad about this tragic event.

BTW your "ride the paramedic" slogan just screams professional aviation researcher..............................

Thank you for speaking the truth, you said exactly what I was thinking.

I am no expert at all when it comes to aircraft. I just know we had no mechanical issues (except a hot start) when I was flying in the Bell 206 L1 as compared to flying in an AS350 B3. (ie engine cracks, chip lights)

I seen more safety initiative at AirEvac Lifeteam than I had seen at my previous service. AirEvac Lifeteam had a mechanic dedicated our base. That aircraft was his baby.

Previous air medical service had a roving mechanic that would come by every now and then.

I am done ranting...

Again I am no expert, and do not claim to be, just giving prospective on what I experienced with my 3 year employment at AirEvac Lifeteam.

I would go back in a second without any concerns.

Everyone be safe..

[fireflymedic]

For those of you that have found the need to bash my statements above, I was simply updating the information. As you well stated, it does take months for a complete and thorough investigation to be completed and the cause of the crash may change. I was relaying information which I had received from someone I knew that was based there. It was not meant to be the final say by any means, nor did I try to relay it as such. I know usually my first question is what do they think happened? Although I didn't know personally the people involved in the crash, I have many friends who actively fly with AEL - two of which from that base - and I know fear goes into my heart each time I hear of one going down. I also have very close friends who fly with other companies, so it hits very close to home to hear of one going down. I admit I am ground based as I have when posting on other threads. However, I am actively involved in advocating for air safety. That being said, I REFUSE to openly bash or condemn a company when I do not know of their maintenance practices. If you notice, not one comment regarding that was placed in my post. Also, as far as insulting flightweb - there are legitimate conversations carried on there by those who are involved with flight and who's lives are the ones at stake. They have a right to raise the difficult questions and debate them. We would do well to shut up and listen to some of them. This is not the place to insult another site.

This is a thread designed to honor those who were involved with the crash, and discussions such as this have disgraced them and the work they were trying to do. If you have a problem with someone's post, please either keep your opinion to yourself or PM them, that's what the button is for. Let's keep this thread open for the condolences to that crew, not an open pissing match.

[Christopher.Collins]

Fire-911 I believe the comments were directed twords Punisher.

[flight-lp]

Fire-911 I believe the comments were directed twords Punisher.

That they were, that they were.

Not at all directed towards you Fire-911........ 8)