Maryland Medevac Crashes Questioned
A Review of 26 fatal medevac crashes shows many didn't involve life-or-death missions, according to a report by Robert Little posted on Baltimoresun.com on October 23rd, 2008.
The review, by the Baltimore Sun, of accident records and other helicopter documents on the 26 fatal medevac crashes in the United States since 2003 shows that many did not involve urgent, time-critical missions. At least eight involved patients who waited longer for a helicopter than a ground ambulance might have needed to drive them to a hospital. And at least six were for patients discharged soon after a helicopter dropped them off at a hospital.
Officials at the state agency that oversees emergency medical care in Maryland plan to convene a panel of national specialists to review the state's medevac system and recommend potential improvements. The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public hearing next year to explore the potential causes of the sharp increase in fatal medevac crashes, including eight this year.
According to published reports, on September 28, 2008 the worst medevac accident in the history of the Maryland State Police occurred when a Maryland State Police helicopter crashed while transporting two female Maryland car accident victims to a Southern Maryland hospital. The helicopter, carrying three crewmembers and two patients, was reportedly en route to the Prince George’s County Hospital Center when the pilot asked to change the aircraft landing site to Andrew’s Air Force Base. The chopper went down a short time later in a wooded area on a park trail approximately 3 miles north of the military base.
The fatal Maryland auto accident killed four of the five people on board including two State Police personnel, a medical technician and one of the female patients. The second auto accident victim, 18 year old Jordan Wells, survived the helicopter crash and was taken to a Baltimore hospital where she was listed in critical condition.
For update on Jordan Wells, the sole crash survivor, visit:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1108/572636.html
