Concern Network
Article Outline
- January 20, 2010
- February 3, 2010
- February 10, 2010
- February 25, 2010
- March 5, 2010
- March 18, 2010
- March 19, 2010
- March 25, 2010
- March 26, 2010
- March 27, 2010
- March 30, 2010
- April 2, 2010
January 20, 2010
While en route by ground, with lights and siren, from the Hillsboro-Portland Airport to the Oregon Health & Science University Hospital (OHSU) in Portland, OR, with a patient that had just been transported by fixed-wing aircraft, a Cal-Ore Life Flight ambulance was struck on the driver's side by a private vehicle while traveling through an intersection. The flight team members attending the patient in the back were unrestrained at the time of the collision. The weather was clear and not a factor.
Local emergency medical services, police, and fire departments responded to the scene. A second ambulance was sent to the scene and transported the patient, family member, and Cal-Ore crew to OHSU. The Cal-Ore crew and the ambulance paramedics sustained minor injuries and were treated and released.
The incident was immediately reviewed and debriefed with the ground ambulance provider and Cal-Ore staff. After a thorough investigation by law enforcement and the provider, it was determined that the ambulance failed to come to a complete stop before traveling through the intersection. Cal-Ore Life Flight has followed up with the patient and family member, and to date they have not experienced any ill effects from the collision.
The investigation is closed with the strong recommendation to all Cal-Ore crewmembers to remain belted at all times, if possible, during ground transport legs. If unable, due to patient care requirements, they need to be positioned and aware of the possibility of sudden stops or other unusual occurrences.
February 3, 2010
While en route from a local hospital for a patient transport, the UMass Memorial Life Flight (Worcester, MA) helicopter was deliberately targeted 4 to 5 times by a green laser. The EC 145 pilot immediately made an evasive maneuver, turning away from the source, and reported the coordinates to the communication center. The communication center notified the local authorities. It was determined that the laser was coming from the area of a middle school.
The patient transport was completed without further incident. Local police were dispatched to the middle school and surrounding area, but no suspects were found. Investigation continues. The weather was clear and not a factor; Air Methods is the vendor.
February 10, 2010
The following incident occurred to the Air Methods Kentucky (Lexington, KY) program. During normal shutdown of a BK117B2 after landing on a dolly at base after completing a flight, a main rotor blade made contact with the vertical stabilizers after the rotor brake had been applied. Gusting winds of 18 to 26 knots were prevalent at the time. No injuries occurred. Maintenance was present at the time, and the aircraft was repaired and returned to service. The weather was clear and not a factor; Air Methods is the vendor.
February 25, 2010
En route to a referring hospital, the local tower alerted FlightCare's (Saginaw, MI) MBB-BK117 of possible traffic at 10 o'clock and 1,800 feet, believed to be an A-10 heading southeast at approximately 300 knots. FlightCare was heading north at 1,500 feet in cruise flight at 130 knots. The traffic was not communicating with the tower. Visual contact was obtained with the traffic and then lost in less than a minute. The tower stated the A-10 had turned eastbound, coming directly at them, less than 2 miles away and closing, and recommended an immediate climb. At approximately the same time, the flight crew spotted the A-10 at 10 o'clock and close to the same altitude. The pilot initiated an immediate climbing left turn, and the A-10 passed beneath the helicopter on the left side with an estimated 150-foot clearance. The flight continued to the referring hospital without further incident. The weather was clear and not a factor; Omniflight is the vendor.
March 5, 2010
Shannon AirMed 1 (San Angelo, TX) experienced an engine chip light while on a patient transport from Concho County Hospital (CCH) in Eden, TX, en route to Shannon Medical Center (SMC) in San Angelo, TX. The pilot-in-command (PIC) of the Bell 407 communicated the situation to the onboard medical crewmembers, contacted the Communications Center, and stated his intentions to conduct a precautionary landing (PL). The PIC made an uneventful PL in a pasture near an unimproved road.
The Communications Center immediately contacted CCH for a ground ambulance and activated the Post Accident Incidence Plan (PAIP). CCH dispatched a ground ambulance, and the patient was transported to SMC without further delay. The weather was clear and not a factor; Med-Trans Corporation is the vendor.
March 18, 2010
When a LifeFlight Eagle (Kansas City, MO) crew landed at a hospital helipad, the EC145 engine cowling opened, a portion of which struck the main rotor blades as the aircraft was shutting down. PHI, Inc., completed a root cause analysis to determine causal factors. The weather was clear and not a factor.
March 19, 2010
While en route to Tampa General Hospital with a trauma patient, an Aeromed crew experienced an unusual vibration in their BK117 and made a precautionary landing without incident. Communications implemented the PAIP plan and dispatched an alternate aircraft. Local law enforcement and fire responded to the landing zone for support. The patient transport was completed without further incident.
The aircraft was evaluated by maintenance personnel, who determined that the vibration was caused by worn bushings. A backup aircraft was put into service while the bushings were replaced. The weather was clear and not a factor; Air Methods is the vendor.
March 25, 2010
On the takeoff roll out of Gregory, SD, a Sanford Intensive Air (Sioux Falls, SD) crew noticed a moderate vibration on liftoff. The vibration in the King Air B200 ceased after 1 to 2 minutes. There were no other indications of trouble. As a precaution, the pilots had Sioux Falls Airport Rescue on stand-by in the event the nose wheel had been damaged or was flat. The aircraft landed in Sioux Falls without incident. The weather was clear and not a factor.
Maintenance inspected the nose wheel tire and found that a patch weight inside the tire had debonded, causing the tire to be out of balance and hence cause the vibration. The tire was replaced, and the aircraft was placed back in service.
March 26, 2010
The Bell 407 departed a satellite base at 9:15 PM for return to the University of Utah AirMed (Salt Lake City, UT) hangar. Approximately 2 minutes after takeoff, while in level, cruise, night vision goggles flight at 5,500 feet MSL (approximately 1,000 feet above ground level), the aircraft flew through a flock of small birds. A thud was heard and a rush of air felt by the pilot as the windscreen shattered. There were no obvious injuries to pilot or crew. Aircraft performance and controllability remained normal, and no limits were exceeded. The co-pilot's side window was undamaged, which allowed for suitable forward viewing. The decision was made to return to the base because of proximity and a suitable landing pad. The AirMed Flight Center was notified of the situation and intentions. The aircraft landed at 9:19 without further incident. The weather was clear and not a factor; Air Methods is the vendor.
The aircraft was inspected by the mechanics, and the windshield was replaced. The aircraft was returned to service.
March 27, 2010
Before departing from an airport rendezvous in a back-up aircraft, SkyLife (Fresno, CA) performed a pre-takeoff check of the 206 L3, and all parameters were in the green. Takeoff and climb were normal, and cruise power was established in level flight. Ten minutes into flight, while making a power change, resistance was noted in the collective. The crew decided to divert to the airport. Landing was made without incident, and the patient was transported by ground to the hospital without adverse effects. The weather was clear and not a factor; Rogers Helicopters is the vendor.
The aircraft was grounded until inspection by maintenance, during which no mechanical problems were found. However, a small plastic bottle with indentations was located on the copilot's floor and was believed to have lodged between the flight controls before landing. Both sets of flight controls were inspected, and a new cover was placed over the flight control access on the co-pilot's side. The incident is being tracked through our safety management system program.
March 30, 2010
During the ground leg of a fixed-wing transport, an Airlift Northwest (Seattle, WA) ambulance was involved in a crash. The ambulance had lights and sirens on, had a green light at an intersection, and came to a stop to clear the intersection but was struck by another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. No injuries were reported. Another ambulance was requested, and the transport was completed without further incident. The weather was clear and not a factor.
April 2, 2010
A Clinic Life-Guard (Roanoke, VA) crew had completed a transport flight to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. During their start-up to leave the hospital, the flight nurse said she thought she noted a flash in the rear of the EC 135. It was later determined that the likely cause was the pilot's lip-light reflecting in the window as he turned his head.
A few moments after lift off, the paramedic in the co-pilot seat was “eyes out of the cockpit” and glanced in the cockpit. He noted a flicker in the instrument panel, which he called out to the pilot, and the pilot confirmed seeing the same flicker. Within the next minute or two, all three crew noted a smell consistent with hot electrical cord insulation. All three crewmembers state the smell became stronger, and they experienced a burning sensation to their eyes. The crew was just on the radio coverage border that they would transition to the CCPT Communications Center. At this point Life-Guard 11 was still in North Carolina and being flight-followed by another helicopter emergency medical services agency.
The pilot began his checklist process: all gauges were normal, and no abnormal readings, alarms, or lights were noted. Concerned with the strong smell and burning to his eyes, he advised the medic to communicate a precautionary landing with medical flight following. This was declared at 8:21 PM. The closest airport was Mt Airy, and the pilot made a heading to that location, noted 5 miles away.
The pilot turned off the air conditioning, which gave him some relief from the burning sensation and smell; however, the medic did not notice any relief from the smell and burning sensation. The nurse noted some of the medical equipment was charging and some were not in the rear of the aircraft. The flight nurse (rear) unplugged all equipment.
On landing at Mt Airy at 8:36 PM, a local fire department apparatus was on standby. A normal landing and shutdown were executed, oxygen was shut off, and all crew exited the aircraft with fire extinguishers in hand.
An aircraft mechanic and relief pilot arrived at Mt Airy Airport at 10:31 PM to troubleshoot the aircraft. A CCPT ground ambulance was dispatched to pick up medical equipment and medical crew. Unable to recreate the occurrence, the decision was made to return the aircraft to its home base. The weather was clear and not a factor; Air Methods is the vendor.
The Carilion Clinic senior director, outreach manager, and safety officer arrived at the Life Guard 11 base. On the arrival of the pilot and the flight crew, a debriefing was held. Key points:
The Concern Network shares verified information to alert medical transport programs when an accident/incident has occurred. Both air and ground programs are encouraged to participate. If you have questions, contact CONCERN Coordinator David Kearns at (800)-525-3712 or http://www.concern-network.org.
PII: S1067-991X(10)00127-6
doi:10.1016/j.amj.2010.04.009
