6 Killed and 3 Are Injured as Copters Collide

[TBerk]

History Repeates itself-

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/us/30copter.html

[Cory]

In article <1c918875-cb0b-40fb-9eeb-11369ecd2883
@x41g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, ***@yahoo.com says...

Post by TBerk
History Repeates itself-

I will assume you are referring to the medical helicopter crash in
Wisconsin until you tell me otherwise. If so, the crashes occurred in
different situations... the chopper in WI crashed into the side of a
bluff in the middle of the night when it was pitch black out.

THESE two helicopters in Arizona SHOULD have seen each other, and it's
not making ANY sense to me why in the world they did not see one another
as they flew nearer to the hospital. One was apparently coming from the
north, the other from the south.

???!!

Post by TBerk
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/us/30copter.html

The accident in AZ is the ninth accident this year that involved medical
helicopters. There were a total of 14 accidents involving medical
helicopters last year. The NTSB is FINALLY starting to ask some
questions...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/30/helicopter.crash/index.html

--- Cory

[Lily Moore Tyler]

Post by Cory
The accident in AZ is the ninth accident this year that involved medical
helicopters. There were a total of 14 accidents involving medical
helicopters last year. The NTSB is FINALLY starting to ask some
questions...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/30/helicopter.crash/index.html
--- Cory

Here is a radical thought: maybe the accident occurred because each
copter had a critically ill patient in dire need of medical treatment.
Each copter pilot was desperate to deliver the patient quickly,
there is no co-ordination of incoming copters. Maybe the pilot is
also too used to the idea that no other copters are in the area.

Maybe someone at the hospital needs to let one copter know
the other is expected too.

[sharon]

Post by Lily Moore Tyler

Post by Cory
The accident in AZ is the ninth accident this year that involved medical
helicopters. There were a total of 14 accidents involving medical
helicopters last year. The NTSB is FINALLY starting to ask some
questions...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/30/helicopter.crash/index.html
--- Cory

Here is a radical thought: maybe the accident occurred because each
copter had a critically ill patient in dire need of medical treatment.
Each copter pilot was desperate to deliver the patient quickly,
there is no co-ordination of incoming copters. Maybe the pilot is
also too used to the idea that no other copters are in the area.
Maybe someone at the hospital needs to let one copter know
the other is expected too.

Medical helicopter pilots are well aware that, no matter what shape the
patient is in, it won't help matters to ignore basic safety principles. No
way that either pilot was trained or instructed to disregard basic safety
precautions to get the patient to the hospital quicker. The fact is,
helicopters are difficult to fly, especially under the sorts of conditions
found in medical evacuations. Even a moment's distraction or missed cue can
result in tragedy such as this, but there is no way that it had anything to
do with the overall condition of the patients aboard the flights, IMO.

Sharon

[Ares, God of War]

Post by sharon
Medical helicopter pilots are well aware that, no matter what shape the
patient is in, it won't help matters to ignore basic safety principles. No
way that either pilot was trained or instructed to disregard basic safety
precautions to get the patient to the hospital quicker. The fact is,
helicopters are difficult to fly, especially under the sorts of conditions
found in medical evacuations. Even a moment's distraction or missed cue can
result in tragedy such as this, but there is no way that it had anything to
do with the overall condition of the patients aboard the flights, IMO.

If you're flying a copter how do you not see another
copter in the immediate area? After all around here
we don't have that many copters. A few traffic copters,
the police, an occasional National Gaurd copter, but
not that many.

Even the number of traffic copters are way down, since they
put in cameras along the major highways.

In this metro area a couple of the tv/radio stations use
copters but the vast majority use a traffic service that
has cameras wired up to view traffic.

Oh and some stations get their traffic reports from
cell phone users.

[Mark Nobles]

Post by Ares, God of War

Post by sharon
Medical helicopter pilots are well aware that, no matter what shape the
patient is in, it won't help matters to ignore basic safety principles. No
way that either pilot was trained or instructed to disregard basic safety
precautions to get the patient to the hospital quicker. The fact is,
helicopters are difficult to fly, especially under the sorts of conditions
found in medical evacuations. Even a moment's distraction or missed cue can
result in tragedy such as this, but there is no way that it had anything to
do with the overall condition of the patients aboard the flights, IMO.

If you're flying a copter how do you not see another
copter in the immediate area?

If one is approaching from the north and one from the south, then they
must be very close to the landing pad at the hospital. In that case,
they may be diverted from watching for other copters because they are
focusing on their approach and landing.

How much would it cost to put ATC at every hospital with a landing pad?
How much would that make the cost/life saved by preventing 14 accidents
a year? Yes, be realistic, you *do* ask that question when dealing with
something like this. People who say "whatever it costs it's worth it to
save even one life" are either insane or politicians (but I repeat
myself).