The Washington Post (2/4, B2, Johnson) reports, “The National Transportation Safety Board began a four-day hearing in Washington yesterday to examine a spike last year in fatal crashes of medical helicopters, including one in Maryland that killed four people.” The Post adds that “in 2008, 29 people died in 13 emergency medical helicopter crashes, incidents that safety experts attribute to human error, bad weather and other causes.” Robert Sumwalt, a NTSB board member and chairman of the hearing said, “The recent accident record is alarming, and it is unacceptable.”
Hospital helicopter regulations come under scrutiny. The Chicago Tribune (2/4, Hilkevitch) reports, “Robert Blockinger drives ambulances for a living, and although he was worried about his ill daughter, it never crossed his mind that she would die while being transported from one hospital to another.” A National Safety Board member said that “at least 77 people have died in 85 medical helicopter accidents in the last six years” and “last year was the deadliest year on record with 35 fatalities.” Now, “legislation pending in Congress would put the regulation of the medical helicopter industry closer to the requirements that airlines must meet.” However, “the relatives of people killed in medical copter crashes said the progress is too slow and that FAA recommendations are not adequate to protect patients and the flight crews caring for them.”
From the American Association for Justice news release.
