Comments on: Added pressure

By: Ehud Gavron

Ehud Gavron — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:55:20 +0000

Mark – ALD? – E

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:20:19 +0000

I agree with you Eric. Our HEMS is part of a large nationwide conglomerate… I’m sure you know of them… I think that is the issue. The bottom line is money for corporations. Now I’m not saying that the whole health care system should be socialized, but there should be a way that these types of decisions don’t come down to money (which, regardless of what a corporation tell you, it does). I know people who have lost many friends and co-workers due to this problem. Pressure to get there, when the ground medics can transport to a clearing, or half way, or all the way to the hospital.

By: Eric Miller

Eric Miller — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:48:36 +0000

The problem is “dispatch” has a job to do–get the helicopter in the air on a specific mission. They are NOT properly trained to place safety as priority #1. They will often “minimize” weather information transmitted to the pilot. They often place pressure on the pilot to go “take a look” at the weather to see if they can “get through”.
In this scenario the second pilot (even after talking with the first pilot that turned back) still accepted the mission. Was this pilot ego or dispatch pressure? The Agusta 109 (I have several hundred hours SPIFR in one) is a good IFR machine if equiped properly—equiped properly means full dual instrumentation-and TWO fully qualified, current and proficient pilots on board and advanced EVS, EGPWS, NVG, and hopefully synthetic vision equiped aircraft. Pilots need frequent CRM and operational training. They need STABLE duty scheduling. Switching day schedules with night schedules (back to back) is just plain stupid-the military doesn’t do it, the airlines don’t do it-why is it “normal practice” for the scheduling and very difficult operating conditions of RW or FW aeromedical rescue/transport? Have a full time night crew-PAY THEM MORE for the lousy schedule and often “more challenging” weather and operating environment. Which is more expensive, doing it “right” or the misery and years of litigation after a fatal accident??
—Good post guys–we need more discussion on these things—

By: Brendan Fitzpatrick

Brendan Fitzpatrick — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:48:57 +0000

Great post – never can overemphasize the dangers of VMC into IMC. Keep them coming…

By: Ehud Gavron

Ehud Gavron — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:07:08 +0000

I love your posts. This one made me shiver about the point that the second helicopter pilot was contacted by the first. Ouch. There’s definitely something to learn here. *sigh* btw my CFI recommended a book (not plugging it just mentioning) called Fatal Traps.