Medevac Service Has Suffered Two Accidents In Past Two
Months... One Fatal
After two of its
helicopters have gone down in accidents less than a month apart,
Airlift Northwest told ANN last week the company will conduct a one
day voluntary "stand down" on Tuesday, November 29, in order to
review its safety procedures as part a larger comprehensive
internal and external review to ensure the organization operates
with the best practices in the aviation industry.
"Airlift Northwest is committed to being an industry leader in
aviation safety," said Executive VP Steve Lewis. "With a nearly
24-year history and more than 55,000 patients transported, our
crews have logged a lot of flight time in the air."
Two Airlift Northwest helicopters were involved in accidents in
recent months, including a fatal accident in September. As was reported in Aero-News,
the pilot and two medical personnel onboard the helicopter died
when their Agusta A109/Mk II (file photo of type, below) went down
under as-yet unknown circumstances.
Most recently, last month another one of the company's A109s lost
power on takeoff. None of the four personnel onboard
that helicopter were seriously injured.
"While the causes of those accidents have not yet been
determined by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), that
process can take a year or more before a final conclusion," said
Lewis. "Our president and the management team don't want to wait
until those reports are final to take any action. We have already
begun to work with air medical consultants and a nationally
recognized aviation safety audit firm to conduct a thorough
internal and external review, of which this stand down is but one
key part of a larger process."
According to a company release, Airlift Northwest will stand
down from 6 a.m. local time November 29, until 10 am local November
30. During that time, ground and personnel will receive additional
training, and work in small teams to identify any potential
opportunities for improvement -- and, help develop plans for
handling those improvements.
Additionally, an independant review will be conducted by
aviation safety experts into company practices, training,
protocols, systems, equipment or communications that directly or
indirectly affect safety. Their report is expected in mid-January,
according to Airlift Northwest.
"While no one can guarantee safety in any form of
transportation, whether it is on the ground or in the air, we are
committed to doing everything humanly and technologically possible
to fly as safely as possible. This is our number one priority in
everything we do at Airlift Northwest," said Lewis.
Other regional medevac operators will cover the area while
the company stands down, and the company's communication center
will remain open to assist in coordinating responses. Lewis said
the company would also reactivate its aircraft, as needed, if such
an event is warranted.
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