Stricter rules for medevac chopper pilots
Des Moines, January 26th - After more than 50 air ambulance crashes in the last three years, tonight the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into stricter rules for the flights. The NTSB believes pilots and the paramedics are being put at unnecessary risk. Pilots who fly medevac choppers know central Iowa hospitals have some of the best safety records in the country transporting patients by air. Something they do 4,000 times a year. Since Methodist and Mercy started flying choppers in Iowa back in the 80's, there's been only one fatal accident caused by equipment failure. All central Iowa choppers already restrict what kind of weather they can fly in, how many hours pilots can be in the air and what kind of training they get. Mercy One also has a crash warning system to warn the pilot of oncoming terrain, another recommendation the NTSB made for hospitals that don't have it. But Mercy even takes safety a step further. The pilot is the only one who can accept a mission but anyone on the crew can say no if they say these are just not conditions they're comfortable with. All rules that have led to a string of more than 15-thousand missions without an accident or crash.
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Des Moines, January 26th - After more than 50 air ambulance crashes in the last three years, tonight the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into stricter rules for the flights. The NTSB believes pilots and the paramedics are being put at unnecessary risk. Pilots who fly medevac choppers know central Iowa hospitals have some of the best safety records in the country transporting patients by air. Something they do 4,000 times a year. Since Methodist and Mercy started flying choppers in Iowa back in the 80's, there's been only one fatal accident caused by equipment failure. All central Iowa choppers already restrict what kind of weather they can fly in, how many hours pilots can be in the air and what kind of training they get. Mercy One also has a crash warning system to warn the pilot of oncoming terrain, another recommendation the NTSB made for hospitals that don't have it. But Mercy even takes safety a step further. The pilot is the only one who can accept a mission but anyone on the crew can say no if they say these are just not conditions they're comfortable with. All rules that have led to a string of more than 15-thousand missions without an accident or crash.
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