NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
January 13, 2009
NTSB TO RELEASE PUBLIC DOCKETS ON NINE FATAL HELICOPTER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (HEMS) ACCIDENTS; FOUR OF THEM CONTAIN A PROBABLE CAUSE
As part of its continuing investigations into nine
helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) accidents the
National Transportation Safety Board will open public
dockets on Thursday, January 15, 2009, at 10:00 am.
The nine docket items are:
- On December 3, 2007, a Eurocopter BK117C1 helicopter,
N141LG, crashed into the ocean about 3 miles east of
Whittier, Alaska. The helicopter was operated by Evergreen
Alaska Helicopters, Inc., under contract to Providence
Hospital, Anchorage, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR)
patient transport flight when the accident occurred. Of the
four persons aboard, only one body was recovered. The
remaining three are presumed to have also died. Instrument
meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the
accident, and company VFR flight following procedures were
in effect.
- On December 30, 2007, a Bell 206L-3, N109AE, owned and
operated by Air Evac EMS Inc., crashed while maneuvering
near Cherokee, Alabama. The certificated airline transport
pilot, paramedic, and flight nurse were killed. Night visual
meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight
plan was filed for the local aerial search flight.
- On February 5, 2008, a Eurocopter AS350B2 EMS helicopter,
N911VA, impacted water on Laguna Madre near South Padre
Island, Texas. The helicopter was destroyed. The airline
transport pilot, flight nurse, and flight paramedic
sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was operated by
Metro Aviation, Inc., doing business as Valley Air Care,
Harlingen, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed. The flight was en route to pick up a patient at
an emergency landing zone in the parking lot of the South
Padre Island Convention Center.
- On May 10, 2008, a Eurocopter EC 135 T2+ EMS helicopter,
N135UW, operated by Air Methods Corporation, was destroyed
during an in-flight collision with trees and terrain near La
Crosse, Wisconsin. Night visual meteorological conditions
prevailed. The pilot, physician and flight nurse sustained
fatal injuries.
- On June 8, 2008, a Bell 407 EMS helicopter, N416PH, owned
by PHI, Inc., and operated as Med 12, was destroyed when it
impacted a heavily forested area in the Sam Houston National
Forest, south of Huntsville, Texas. Night visual
meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the
accident. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and
passenger were fatally injured. The flight had departed
Huntsville Memorial Hospital Heliport after picking up a
patient, and was en route to Herman Memorial Hospital,
Houston, Texas.
- On June 29, 2008, a Bell 407 EMS helicopter, N407GA, and a
Bell 407 EMS helicopter, N407MJ, collided in mid air while
approaching the Flagstaff Medical Center helipad, Flagstaff,
Arizona. Both helicopters were destroyed, and all 7 persons
aboard the two aircraft were killed. N407GA was operated by
Air Methods Corporation, Englewood, Colorado, and registered
to Flagstaff Medical Center. N407MJ was operated by Classic
Helicopter Services, Page, Arizona, and registered to M&J
Leisure, L.L.C., Ogden, Utah. Visual meteorological
conditions prevailed, and company flight plans were filed
for both flights. N407GA's flight departed Flagstaff
Pulliam Airport and N407MJ's flight departed the Grand
Canyon National Park Service South Rim helibase, Tusayan,
Arizona.
- On August 31, 2008, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N37AE,
operated by Air Evac EMS Inc., was destroyed during an in-
flight collision with terrain and post impact fire near
Greensburg, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed. The pilot, flight nurse, and paramedic sustained
fatal injuries. The accident flight departed at from
Burney, Indiana, with the intention of returning to the
aircraft's base located in Rushville, Indiana.
- On September 27, 2008, an Aerospatiale (Eurocopter)
AS365N1, N92MD, call sign Trooper 2, registered to and
operated by the Maryland State Police (MSP) as a public use
EMS flight, was substantially damaged when it collided with
trees and terrain in Walker Mill Regional Park, District
Heights, Maryland. The flight had been cleared by air
traffic control (ATC) for an instrument landing system (ILS)
approach to runway 19R at Andrews Air Force Base, Camp
Springs, Maryland. Instrument meteorological conditions
prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan
was filed. The commercial pilot, one flight paramedic, one
field provider, and one of two automobile accident patients
being transported were fatally injured. The other patient being
transported survived the helicopter accident and was taken
to a local hospital with serious injuries. The flight
originated from a landing zone located at Wade Elementary
School, Waldorf, Maryland, in VFR conditions destined for
the Prince George's County Hospital, Cheverly, Maryland.
- On October 15, 2008, a Bell 222 helicopter, N992AA,
operated by Air Angels Inc., and piloted by a commercial
pilot, was destroyed when it impacted a radio station tower
and the ground in Aurora, Illinois. A post crash fire
ensued. The EMS was en route from the Valley West Hospital
Heliport, Sandwich, Illinois, to the Children's Memorial
Hospital Heliport, Chicago, Illinois, when the accident
occurred. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed
in the area of the accident site. All four occupants,
including the pilot, a flight paramedic, a flight nurse, and
the patient, were fatally injured. The flight originated
about 10 minutes prior to the accident.
The information being released on five of these nine
investigations is factual in nature and does not provide any
analysis. It will include investigative group factual
reports, interview transcripts, and other documents from the
investigation. Additional material will be added to the
dockets as it becomes available. The public may view and
download the docket contents via our web site at
www.ntsb.gov, under the "FOIA Reading Room" link on the home
page. Analysis of the accidents, along with conclusions and
a determination of probable cause, will come at a later date
when the final reports on the investigations are completed.
Final reports on four of these investigations, including the
probable cause, and brief analysis will be released along
with dockets. These cases are the following:
- December 3, 2007, accident involving a Eurocopter BK117C1
helicopter, N141LG, near Whittier, Alaska.
- December 30, 2007, accident involving a Bell 206L-3,
N109AE, owned and operated by Air Evac EMS Inc., near
Cherokee, Alabama.
- February 5, 2008, accident involving Eurocopter AS350B2
EMS helicopter, N911VA, near South Padre Island, Texas.
- June 8, 2008, accident involving a Bell 407 EMS
helicopter, N416PH, owned by PHI, Inc., and operated as Med
12, south of Huntsville, Texas.
This will be a document release only; no interviews will be
conducted.
Media Contact: Keith Holloway, (202) 314-6100
hollowk@ntsb.gov
NTSB Home | << Back to Press Releases Page << | News
& Events