07.08.08

Cantwell Determined to Strengthen Air Safety Requirements and Make Our Skies Safer

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) issued the following statement regarding the Air Medical Service Safety Improvement Act of 2008 she introduced this afternoon. The Act will improve safety for flight crews, flight nurses, and passengers aboard emergency air medical service helicopters.
 
Cantwell’s statement as prepared for delivery:
 
“I come to the floor today to ask for my colleagues’ support for the Air Medical Service Safety Improvement Act of 2008, a measure that redefines our commitment to improving the safety for the flight crews, flight nurses, and passengers aboard emergency air medical service helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
 
“These EMS aviation operations provide an important service to the public by transporting seriously ill patients or donor organs to emergency care facilities. Each year, on average, air medical companies transport about 350,000 patients by helicopter and 100,000 by fixed wing aircraft.
 
“Providing emergency air medical service is dangerous work. And, unfortunately, we have been reminded of this fact all too many times this year, most recently by the tragic crash in Arizona. 
 
“I first became involved in the issue of emergency air medical service safety when an EMS helicopter crashed near my hometown in Washington state.  On September 29, 2005, an Airlift Northwest EMS transport helicopter crashed into the waters of Puget Sound at Browns Bay, just north of Edmonds, Washington. On board were pilot Steve Smith, and nurses Erin Reed and Lois Suzuki. There were no survivors. Over time, I have communicated with both Erin’s mother and sister about their loss.
 
“The cause of the crash remains unknown. 
 
“All we do know is that three people dedicated to saving lives were lost in the Sound that night. And sadly, their story is not uncommon.
 
“According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, one in four medical helicopters will crash during its 15 years of service.  In just the last six months, there have been nine medical helicopter crashes and 16 deaths.
 
“This alarming epidemic of accidents has opened the eyes of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board,(NTSB) and policymakers in recent days.   But the recent spike in accidents is not a new trend. In fact, between January 2002 and January 2005, there were 55 crashes of medical helicopters. On January 25, 2006, the NTSB released a report identifying recurring gaps in safety that must be addressed, including:
 
  • Less stringent requirements for emergency medical operations conducted without patients on board;
  • A lack of aviation flight risk-evaluation programs;
  • A lack of consistent, comprehensive flight dispatch procedures; and
  • No requirements to use technologies such as terrain awareness and warning systems that have the power to enhance flight safety.
 
“At my request, Section 508 of S.1300, a bill to reauthorize the FAA incorporated the NTSB recommendations for addressing these gaps. Subsequent to that bill’s introduction in the spring of 2007, I had the opportunity to discuss with stakeholders how to improve upon the language. The bill I am introducing today is essentially the amendment I filed this May when the FAA reauthorization bill was on the floor. Given the uncertain status of that legislation, and in light of the recent events, I felt the urgency to transform the amendment into standalone legislation.
 
“This bill will implement new procedures and improve standards already in place through strengthened safety requirements, comprehensive flight dispatch and flight following procedures, improved situation awareness of helicopter air crews, and better data available to NTSB investigators at crash sites.
 
“It is time to put black boxes in these helicopters.
 
“It is time to require the same safety standards regardless of whether or not a patient is on board.
 
“It is time to evaluate potential risks before take-off.
 
“It is time to improve the situational awareness of air medical flight crews.
 
“If not, we are bound to witness more tragedies.
 
“I am committed to these changes and I ask my colleagues to lend their support in making the skies safer for the men and women who dedicate their lives to getting critically injured patients the medical attention they need.
 
“Thank you, and I yield the floor.”
 
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