NEMSPA

Silver bullets are for werewolves! 

I was reminded recently of how to kill a werewolf—one must use a silver bullet! It has been quite some time since I've seen one of those old movies, but I keep hearing about silver bullets. The difference is that now they are being applied to our safety.

Whether heard in conversations with others or read in a magazine, each of the following has been referred to as the answer to our quest for a reduced accident rate: night vision goggles, dual pilot operations, video cockpit recorders, more regulations, twin engines only, daytime flight only, crew resource management, and the list goes on.

Night vision goggles: The FAA has finally published some guidance. More and more programs are flying with them, and although they are a great tool, they are not a silver bullet. They allow us to see more at night, thus providing a little wider safety margin, but they do not stop a crew from taking off in poor flight conditions.

Dual pilot operations: Yes, it is always nice to have a second pilot in the front seat, another set of eyes and hands to exchange information. Hopefully, this serves as a check and balance against one person getting tunnel vision to the point of an accident.

Video cockpit recorders: When I read this proposal, I thought, “How nice! Someone is going to be able to see the terror on my face during the last few seconds of my life.” Recorders will help the NTSB and FAA figure out the “why” of an accident, and that information will be passed on in hopes of preventing another accident just like it.

Twin-engine only: The argument for twin-engine helicopters is pretty solid. If you lose one, in most cases, you can still fly away and land safely. Single-engine operators argue that, as a result of new technology, engine failures are rare. I agree with that argument, too. My agreement ends if I'm the guy flying a single-engine aircraft at night over mountainous terrain and that one engine quits. I no longer care about how rare engine failures are.

Daytime operations only: I have no doubt that this would have a positive affect on our accident rate. I also think night operations can be conducted just as safely as daytime operations if the proper training and equipment are used.

Crew resource management (CRM): This concept has already had a positive affect on our industry. Most programs have come a long way by implementing and practicing CRM. There are still transport team members out there who don't want to say anything, even though they are uncomfortable with a flight. There are even some people out there using CRM as a way to put pressure on pilots to reconsider a mission he's already turned down.

The preceding comments are just a few observations about so-called silver bullets. If money were no object, I can't imagine too many people in this industry being opposed to implementing any or all of the “silver bullets” listed above. Not one of these items by itself will improve our accident rate for any long period.

One of the first things that should be done is to determine what our actual accident rate is. The standard unit of measure is accidents per 100,000 hours of flight. As of now, our industry does not have a method for compiling that data. Our accident rate, therefore, is not based on the same data that other industries use.

We need to meld all of these so-called silver bullets into a comprehensive plan to increase safety and reduce accidents. We need to put technology—night vision goggles, terrain awareness warning systems, IFR aircraft, and twin engine aircraft—into the hands of the user.

Currently, several committees and working groups are looking at regulatory measures to help increase our safety margin. Some of the proposals will certainly help. However, regardless of how much equipment and regulation or number of pilots you pile into an aircraft, the accident rate will not change for any significant amount of time unless there is a major focus on training and discipline. The training focus needs to encompass everyone involved in EMS operations, from the highest levels of management to the lowest person in the food chain, whoever that may be. A combination of training, discipline, regulation, and equipment will bring an improvement to our safety record—not a silver bullet.