NTSB says EMS accident rate is too high

[430EMSpilot]

I'm not sure I agree with everything Gomer Pylot said.

SPIFR is demanding but I don't think it's eyewash, it expands our capabilities and increases safety. I fly a SPIFR ship in EMS and I've found it to be a great tool and a safety enhancement. By virtue of the the fact that we must take a 135.297 ride every six months with study and recurrent flight training added on, I believe we are more prepared to deal with IIMC than a VFR pilot.

I don't launch VFR in marginal weather, I'll file IFR and if our customer doesn't want to wait a little longer while I file and maybe meet us at the closest airport, they will find another mode of transportation.

If we encounter marignal VFR enroute, fly unaided at night, or can't see the ceiling, the auto pilot is a great tool. Let it fly, it has no idea whether it's in the clouds or not. If you have the misfortune of going IIMC the autopilot will not panic, you can command it to climb to MSA while you contact ATC for a clearance and vectors to VFR or an approach.

If the weather is deteriorating, you have the opportunity to get a clearance and climb to safety early instead of mucking around in the mud and going IIMC or CFIT.

I agree with whoever said that it was pilot error more than anything else. We must make good decisions, even when they are unpopular and may put our job in jeopardy. A company that won't accept a reasonable, safe decision isn't worth dying for, I'll move on.

Devil 49,
I think we work for the same company and thankfully haven't had the same training experiences you've had. Maybe the difference is CBM vs HBM?

V/R