Crisis in the Sky MedEvac Helicopter Crashes Deaths Escalate

[Happiness]

Okay I guess my question to those who are stating that they can refuse and the pilots can refuse in the cases of bad weather, then why are so many accidents going on. Is there maybe a loop hole in the system then

[VentMedic]

Okay I guess my question to those who are stating that they can refuse and the pilots can refuse in the cases of bad weather, then why are so many accidents going on. Is there maybe a loop hole in the system then

It also depends on how up to date the information is that the pilots are basing their decision on.

Read the link I posted earlier

http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2006/SIR0601.pdf

and this link has more info including other links to more information.

http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-...ses/?no_cache=1

The one I do find disturbing is when dispatchers know the weather conditions and pilots are refusing to fly but eventually they talk someone into it.

including “helicopter shopping” by dispatchers–when one HEMS company rejected a flight, generally due to weather, they kept dialing until another operator accepted the flight. Other factors include pilots assigned, or voluntarily taking, excessive duty time; pilots flying into marginal weather or below safe performance envelopes; a pilot flying injured; and, in at least one case, a pilot with a vision restriction apparently flying without wearing his glasses.

The voice recordings between the pilot and dispatch from the Maryland crash were also very disturbing.

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1008/5658...l?ref=newsstory

SYSCOM: Up to you man. Can you fly?

BUNKER: College Park is at 810. Well, I just heard Medstar, so if they can do it we can do it.

SYSCOM: Ok, it's up to you.

BUNKER: Yeah we ought to be able to do it.

[CTXMEDIC]

Nothing disturbing about it. It was two guys talkin'. the tone of his voice expressed zero concern. he acknowledged another service had just flown there and that he should be able to as well. And before you pile on, i was a helicopter flight engineer for 8 years. before you make assumptions, you should probally research the aircraft and crews capabilities. What exactley WAS the weather like that day? foggy and raining, so what? what kind of vis did the have? are they equipped/rated to fly IFR safely? NVG's? what are their minimums and did they fly outside of them? i dont have the answers but im not going to frag a pilot with thousands of hours in a cockpit before knowing the full scoop.

[VentMedic]

Nothing disturbing about it. It was two guys talkin'. the tone of his voice expressed zero concern. he acknowledged another service had just flown there and that he should be able to as well. And before you pile on, i was a helicopter flight engineer for 8 years. before you make assumptions, you should probally research the aircraft and crews capabilities. What exactley WAS the weather like that day? foggy and raining, so what? what kind of vis did the have? are they equipped/rated to fly IFR safely? NVG's? what are their minimums and did they fly outside of them? i dont have the answers but im not going to frag a pilot with thousands of hours in a cockpit before knowing the full scoop.

You can read a review of this fatal crash online through the links I posted. The weather is mentioned in the conversation and the pilot also mentions 810.

I guess you don't fly now.

When a pilot uses words like "ought" , "maybe" or "probably", my partner and I will ask for a recheck of the weather or whatever situation.

I have my life at stake here also and we may not get another chance to say "could have", "would have" or "should have".

[CTXMEDIC]

what tipped ya off that i dont fly anymore? the part where i said 'used to be'? the fact he said 'should' matters not. i believe youre taking the conversation out of context. there was no inflection of the word 'should'. to me it sounded like the guy just woke up and answered the phone. the conversation was, to me, meant in jest. the part where the other service was mentioned was salted with bravado when he said, "If they can do it we can do it". as for the 810. do you know thats not the elevation of the LZ as opposed to wx conditions? BTW 800/10 is PLENTY of weather to fly a helicopter safely. I believe the ENTIRE conversation would be useful. A number of factors can bring down a helicopter, weather is but one.

[VentMedic]

what tipped ya off that i dont fly anymore? the part where i said 'used to be'? the fact he said 'should' matters not. i believe youre taking the conversation out of context. there was no inflection of the word 'should'. to me it sounded like the guy just woke up and answered the phone. the conversation was, to me, meant in jest. the part where the other service was mentioned was salted with bravado when he said, "If they can do it we can do it". as for the 810. do you know thats not the elevation of the LZ as opposed to wx conditions? BTW 800/10 is PLENTY of weather to fly a helicopter safely. I believe the ENTIRE conversation would be useful. A number of factors can bring down a helicopter, weather is but one.

Did you even bother to read anything I suggested? You are writing your own story for this accident. The NTSB already wrote theirs. If you have any flight knowledge you would know where to look for the information without all of your own speculation. This crash did not happen yesterday and many changes have been evolving from it.

[CTXMEDIC]

Try again. I am not 'writing my own story'. I havent written one single word about the cause of this accident. I dont know what the cause was and quite frankly, am not interested enough to browse the FAA or NTSB's websites to find out. I have flown in conditions far worse than 800/10 while in the military and the mere fact that he was in that kind of weather still doesnt explain what caused the crash. I really dont give a rats ass what caused it. But that being said, Im not going to sit and armchair quaterback a mans decision to fly that night. You and I werent there, neither were the FAA investigators. he could have had vertigo, could have gotten preoccupied with a minor problem. The point is NOONE knows what brought them down. Unless John Edwards talks to this guy 'on the other side' nobody will every know.