Medical Plane Crashes At ‘Disturbing’ Level
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A federal safety official said accidents involving medical aircraft have reached a “disturbing” level.
National Transportation Safety Board chairman Mark Rosenker made the comments Monday in reaction to the latest deadly incident — the collision of two medical helicopters Sunday in Flagstaff, Ariz., that left six people dead.
Only one person on board survived — a nurse, who was critically injured.
The NTSB said there have been nine serious accidents with emergency medical aircraft this year, including six involving helicopters.
This was the second medical helicopter crash in the past two days in Arizona. On Friday, a helicopter with three people aboard crash-landed in Ash Fork as it was picking up a patient.
Last summer, two news helicopters collided while covering an auto chase in Phoenix, killing all four people on board.
Rosenker said the NTSB is “very concerned” about the incidents and is working to make sure it understands “exactly what happened” so that recommendations can be made to prevent more.
Officials have been unable to provide an account of what preceded Sunday’s deadly crash, reported KPHO-TV in Phoenix.
A pilot for the company that operated one of the helicopters in Sunday’s crash said the two choppers were apparently attempting to land at Flagstaff Medical Center at the same time. He said such a situation is rare, but the hospital doesn’t have flight controllers, and it’s up to the pilots to watch each other as they approach.
Experienced pilots were at the controls of the two medical helicopters. The chief executive for Air Methods said his company’s chopper was being flown by a veteran pilot. An official with Classic Helicopters said his pilot had more than 10,000 hours of flight time.
All three people on one of the helicopters operated by Air Methods of Englewood, Colo., were killed in the accident, including a patient, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration.
A pilot, paramedic and patient aboard the other aircraft operated by Classic Helicopter Corporation of Woods Cross, Utah, died in the crash, officials said. The flight nurse suffered extensive injuries and was rushed to Flagstaff Medical Center.
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