Wednesday, June 11, 2008

** Sunday Texas air ambulance crash part of upward trend in med evac mishaps?

** Texas chopper second to be dispatched before crash

** Texas emergency personnel don black ribbons to honour fallen aircrew

UNITED STATES NEWS

** Sunday’s air ambulance crash in Texas has pundits concerned that the number of medevac downings are on the rise. That is the word from ABC News (Lauren Cox/June 10) which said three medical helicopters have been in accidents in the last 10 days. Observers are pointing to the increase in the number of chopper flights as one reason why crash stats have begun to spike. Between 1991 and 2005, in air hours surged to 300,000. Some 70 per cent of these are inter hospital transfers. Crash rates per 100,000 hours have also jumped from 3.53 to 4.56. Along with advocating pilots heed weather data more closely, organizations like the National Transportation Safety Board are pushing technologies such as terrain awareness devices and night vision goggles.

** A Texas chopper that crashed Sunday in Huntsville, Texas was the second air unit to be dispatched to the call. My Fox Houston (June 9) is reporting that a Memorial Hermann Lifeflight chopper nearly responded to the incident, but turned back shortly before landing at the hospital site around 1:18 a.m. due to fog. Although no crash cause has so far been offered, speculation is now centering around weather conditions and darkness. The pilot in the Sunday mishap did not have night vision goggles. A memorial service for the three crew members has been set at the First Baptist Church in the 3100 block of Cambridge Drive in Bryan, Texas, at 1 p.m. next Wednesday.

** As an act of remembrance, EMS and other emergency personnel in the Brazos Valley, Texas are donning black and yellow ribbons on their uniforms. KBTX (June 10) said area firefighters are also covering their badges with black swatches. A spokesman for the fire department said the PHI air crew worked closely with most area prehospital providers.