Aircraft Is Out Of Certification, Inspectors On Furlough

A Life Flight helicopter normally based at St. John Medical Center in Longview, WA has been grounded by the partial government shutdown, though others in the region are still flying.

The aircraft is in need of a federal inspection to be certified as airworthy, according to a report appearing online on The Daily News Online in Washington State. With inspectors remaining on furlough due to the partial government shutdown, the aircraft has been recalled to Portland, OR, where it will remain grounded until it can be recertified.

Hospital spokesman Randy Querin said that helicopters can still be dispatched to the area from the Hillsboro, OR-based company's Portland facility as needed, but one will not be based at the Longview hospital for now.

The flight from Portland to Longview takes about 18 minutes, meaning response times may be slightly longer, Querin said, but the company pledged that aircraft would still be available to transport patients to and from the hospital.

A similar arrangement was in place before an aircraft was permanently based at St. John Medical Center in 2008.

FMI: www.peacehealth.org/st-john