It was only a month ago in November that three people – a pilot and two crew members – had lost their lives in a tragic air ambulance crash. The unfortunate event was attributed to bad weather. The crew was, at the time, en route to pick a patient. This time around too, the company in question was the same. However, fortunately, there were no fatalities. The fact brings to light the dangers involved in carrying out medical flight services in tough weather conditions. The air ambulance belonged to Resolve Aviation. In the tragedy that occurred last month, the medical flight involved belonged to Security Aviation. In both the cases, Medevac Alaska, had hired an external agency as it does not maintain its own fleet of medical flights.
The Story Behind the Air Ambulance Crash
The crash took place close to Koliganek. The air ambulance had just dropped a patient and was on its way back after the mission. The drop off had been made to Stuyahok and was returning to Anchorage. It was during this path that the medical flight lost power. The situation got even scarier as the pilot was unable to start the engine again. Fortunately, the pilot was able to maintain his presence of mind and landed on a frozen lake. An airplane was immediately dispatched to the site and the crew was safely evacuated and brought to safety. The crew had been stranded at Lake Dillingham.
There Needs to be More Focus on Crew Safety
The crash has, once again, brought to light the dangerous circumstances that air ambulance crews are regularly subjected to. While the focus has primarily been on the rising air ambulance costs, the incident is a reminder of where the focus actually needs to be. The Federal Flight Regulators and National Transportation Safety Board are currently looking into the matter.
