Making It Safe to Fly in an Emergency Medical Helicopter

Published On: September 2nd, 2009

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking to improve the safety of emergency medical helicopters.

At a hearing today, the aviation-accident investigators are expected to ask for additional pilot training for at least some medical transports, better flight-data collection and weather forecasts, greater use of dedicated air pathways in bad weather and wider use of night-vision goggles, according to the WSJ.

In February, the NTSB held three days of hearings on the issue. The Federal Aviation Administration has been working since earlier this year on new safety rules. Prior to that time, the FAA had approached safety improvements through voluntary compliance.

Piloting these helicopters is by some measures the most risky job in the U.S. In 2008, the NTSB said there were 13 medical helicopter crashes and 29 deaths, notes the WSJ. Despite the potential additional safety measures, a study by the consulting firm Aerosafe Risk Management suggested that risk won’t go down until reimbursement rates for transporting patients are increased, notes the WSJ.

Photo: Associated Press

Originally posted here:
Making It Safe to Fly in an Emergency Medical Helicopter

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