What catagory do you chalk this accident up to? Which sector of the industry?
I did not say the seat reversal had any thing to do with the accident...read my post. The seat reversal is just another EMS connection is all.
If we assume it was a part 91 operation due to the fact no patient was aboard....and having therefore to assume the nurse and paramedic were employees of Air Methods, Inc......and the aircraft was owned and operated by Air Methods, Inc.....and Air Methods,Inc. is one of the nation's largest EMS operators....
If the nurse and paramedic were not employees of Air Methods...the flight was Part 135 and was conducted under the Air Methods 135 Certificate and OPSPECS.....and the accident would fall under their insurance policy....which covers EMS operations.
My view is simply this....this crash is just another part of an EMS operational flight. One cannot seperate this crash from the EMS accident statistics no matter how you want to. This is just another unfortunate event that befell a crew out doing their jobs.
It has to be counted right along with all the other ways EMS crews get killed. That is what drives the insurance costs and flight rates being charged. It should also have some effect upon wages and other compensation for the crews. It should also have some effect upon FAA surviellence of EMS operations....and scrutiny by insurance carriers.
Right now the only folks that stand to lose by improving the accident rate are the insurance companies and morticians.
I