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.

FMI: www.airliftnw.org, www.ntsb.gov