Medical Helicopters Lack Common-Sense Safety Features
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Editor's Note: Can any AMG pilots/flight fans explain this article? I would think medivac helicopters would be very well-equipped to stay in the air. This article suggests that is not always the case.
emsflightcrew.com
Lack of safety features cited in copter crash
PostDateIcon Fri, 11/27/2009 - 21:17 | Michael
A medical helicopter that crashed this month in.., killing three, lacked safety features recommended for years by federal experts, including night vision equipment and a system to warn the crew when the aircraft was too close to obstacles or the ground.
Medical helicopters are permitted to operate without many of the safety features required on commercial airliners.
...the Federal Aviation Administration... has not agreed on the features/procedures that should be required for medical helicopters.
Roger, Your statement, "Pilots can be strongly influenced by what we call "gethomeitis". They find it difficult to admit that they can't get home due to changing conditions." Reminds me of that woman in the Cessna Citation that crashed in West Gardner a couple of years go killing her and her son.
charlie
As my old door gunner used to say on occasion, "Perzackly."
The zeal to save a life and the dynamics involved are described very well by Roger. This is not limited to medical evac. helicopters! In Vietnam my unit usually got one guy who knew there was some advantage to harvesting
bamboo trees because if there was one on edge of LZ he managed to at least trim top off!
I’ve had the privilege of meeting several of the crew members of Maine’s Life Flight. A skilled crew, with tremendous insight, and they do ground the unit when the weather is in question. The pilot makes the calls.
I can’t speak to specific. However, It is my opinion they are called too often for non life threatening incidents and should only be called when their skills are in fact needed.
One thing I had a hard time impressing on my new pilots was that the helicopter obeys the same laws of physics every day. No matter how motivated you are, no matter how much you want to stay on station with low fuel, no matter how many troops you need to leave on the ground, the bird will only do what the bird will do.
That said; when I was checking out a new pilot I would pick up into a hover, tighten down the collective (power) lever, tell the new pilot not to touch the collective and give control to the new pilot. The Huey would settle to the ground. I would take it back and without touching the collective the bird would rise to a 3 foot hover. I would give it to the new guy and it would settle to the ground. They got irritated about it.
"Why does it DO that?" they would ask.
"Because I WANT it to" was my reply. Then I would show them. If I was overcorrecting, punching the pedals and making large control inputs to maintain a perfect heading and position it would settle to the ground with me flying it. Back in primary flight training it was necessary to demonstrate that precision and it was always necessary when landing in a confined area. Heck, we hovered into very tight walled revetments that protected the helicopters from mortar fire. The purpose of my example was to show the pilots that they could get just a little more out of the Huey if you gave it a little free rein so to speak.
At a reunion in 1996 a tall bald blonde guy came over and gave me a big hug and thanked me. I didn't remember him. I asked why the thanks. "For teaching me the tricks that kept me alive" was his reply. Bought me a beer too.
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To fly under visual flight rules at night you need to have a visible horizon and enough light to be able to see the terrain and any obstructions. The risk of unanticipated precipitation must also be considered. Pilots can be strongly influenced by what we call "gethomeitis". They find it difficult to admit that they can't get home due to changing conditions. The helicopter in the above article was not equipped for instrument flight.
As with driving a car, every flight has inherent risks. Most of us delay driving when the weather is bad because we don't want to get our vehicle damaged or get hurt. Most pilots do the same. They have a much higher regard for their aircraft than most people have for their cars. There is no excuse for attempting or continuing a flight into marginal conditions.
There is a very old procedure if a pilot becomes boxed into a situation where he can't continue safely. That is "Climb, Confess, Conserve". Climb out of your predicament so you don't fly into the terrain or an obstruction. Confess your predicament. Report your situation to air traffic control. Conserve your fuel to maximize your ability to safely complete the flight to an alternative destination.
It is usually more complicated than this, but these basics are provided for the average member of the public.