Medevac Operations Under Scrutiny in Wake of Flagstaff Crash

The NTSB is stepping up its investigation of medevac services in the wake of a crash last Sunday in Flagstaff, Arizona, that killed 6 people and seriously injured one. According to the The New York Times, NTSB chairman, Mark Rosenker, says he's "very concerned" that this was the tenth accident involving medical airlift aircraft this year. "We are going to try very hard to make sure we understand exactly what happened here, determine the probable cause and make recommendations to prevent it from happening again," Rosenker said.

According to the New York Times report, Rosenker said that the NTSB is worried about the safety record of medevac services and will take appropriate action to improve safety. "We are very concerned about that . . . we are going to try very hard to make sure we understand exactly what happened here, determine the probable cause and make recommendations to prevent it from happening again," Mr. Rosenker said at a news conference.

Anyone familiar with the fallout from increased accident rates experienced by parachute jumping operations, air charter companies, air ambulance companies, commercial airlines, and air tour operators, knows that it is only a matter of time before the FAA steps in to propose new rules based on the NTSB recommendations. If experience is any indication, it is likely that we will see an NPRM on medevac operations within the next 12 months. Now would be a good time for the medevac industry to step forward and propose its own rules if it is to stem the tide of new regulations. Unfortunately, it may be too little too late.