AMS Heli crash in Uniondale

[Daiseycutter]

I think that it might be pertinent to wait until the smoke has settled before we even begin to think or talk about CFIT. Let the CAA guys investigate for a few minutes more and then perhaps we might go in this direction.

RIP Guys

The rest of you Fly Safe.

[nyathi]

I agree!

I agree with Daiseycutter, let the experts do their job first and then the rest can start speculating what happened. This crew was very brave in risking their life fo safe somebody elses life! RIP guys, you did on helluva job!

[B Sousa]

If this was a CFIT issue, then should we not be looking the pressure that EMS crew are put under by operators to get the job done even in a hostile environment - just look at the growth/changes in the SA EMS industry of late (competition).

Not an islolated problem. This is a world wide problem. EMS accidents in the states are going through the roof. I know there has been a big push for multi engine aircraft, however that has not helped much when the big problem seems to be SPIFR or continued VFR into IMC conditions..

Let the CAA guys investigate for a few minutes more and then perhaps we might go in this direction.

Most who post here respect the fact that families have been forever torn apart. But based on prior posts as to WHO may be doing the investigation, time may be wasted in the prevention of a similar accident. I think even those who have suffered may agree.
Should there be a thread for condolonces and one for causation??

[takeabreath]

The best friend and instructor ever.

I had the privilege of being Jeremy's first student pilot. I could not have aksed 4 a kinder, more patient instruct. Needless to say we became good friend and his loss is tragic. A person like Jeremy only comes by once in a lifetime and your death leaves a gap that is too big to ever replace. Love you lots mr. Grumpy

[Yossarian]

The bad news I heard today was shattering.

RIP Jeremy, old friend.

[Captain Pheremone]

Hey Daisycutter...I agree 100%

I know this is a rumour network but there is also no easier way to start one than for others to plant the seed. CFIT, Engine failure, Electrical failure, Tail rotor failure etc etc etc ....you name it they happen.

Whoever is doing the investigation lets give them a small amount of credit and see what they come up with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite likely Jeremy did everything right and it could have been me or you.

[propellorhead]

For those wishing to pass on messages to Jeremy's family and loved ones. Please visit http://www.acweb.co.za

Farewell dear friend.

[Gunship]

Bodies recovered

A police helicopter has recovered the remains of four people killed in a helicopter crash in the Langkloof mountains at the weekend, the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service (AMS) said on Wednesday.

The bodies have been taken to the George State Mortuary.

Full Report

[Gunship]

'Heroic flight' fetches bodies

George - The charred remains of three crew and a child patient have been brought down from a mountain "on a wing and a prayer" two days after their Red Cross helicopter crashed and burst into flames.

The helicopter crashed on Sunday night and the four were burnt to death.

They were the pilot, Jeremy Wood, paramedic Paul Alexander, Carlos Julius of the Mossel Bay fire brigade and nine-year-old American girl Madison Miller, who had a broken femur from a motor accident on Sunday.

The helicopter was located on Monday, but bad weather and rugged terrain prevented the remains from being brought down for two days and nights.

On Wednesday morning, after a police rescue helicopter had been grounded by bad weather on Tuesday, they decided to take a chance when a window opened in the weather.

Superintendent Wayne Venter of the Southern Cape police said: "With God's mercy, the weather gave us a chance to bring back the remains."

Body bags stayed on mountain

The remains of the four had been put into body bags on Monday afternoon by members of the metro emergency rescue services, supervised by Dr Mariette Hurst, the state pathologist.

But, the body bags had had to remain when the weather forced them to leave the wreckage.

Early on Wednesday, the weather lifted for a short while and Venter sent in the Port Elizabeth police air wing's Squirrel helicopter with inspector Arnold Pienaar as pilot and flight crew comprising inspector Nolan Smith of Port Elizabeth and Deon van Wyk of Eden fire brigade.

Smith said on Wednesday afternoon that when they arrived near the crash about 08:00, it was again pouring.

They put the helicopter down as close as possible to the crash scene and waited for the weather to give them a chance to fly in.

Meanwhile, Venter, superintendent Gerhard Lategan of the area crime prevention unit and inspector Wessie van der Westhuizen of Oudtshoorn dog unit, waited at Haarlem Dam about three kilometres away with inspector Johannes Meintjies and the police hearse.

About 09:50 the weather lifted slightly and Venter sent in the helicopter.

While Pienaar kept his eye on the instruments and remained hovering over the body bags, Van Wyk was winched 50m to the ground.

Van Wyk first put the remains of the paramedic and the pilot into a stretcher, loaded it in the cargo net and it was winched up to the hovering helicopter.

With Smith holding the stretcher against the helicopter's skids, Pienaar flew to the waiting hearse.

Started raining again

The bodybags were lowered and Pienaar headed back up the mountain.

Back at the crash, Van Wyk loaded the remaining two body bags.

He said: "It was raining. When I loaded the body bag with the girl's remains, the pilot decided it was time for us to all pull out."

By 11:15, the retrieval mission had been completed, and Meintjies left with his sad load for the mortuary at George police station.

Venter said afterwards: "For us, it was a mission guided by prayer."

Link

[Deanw]

Red Cross 'to please explain'

07/10/2005

Michelé O'Connor

Cape Town - The Red Cross air ambulance service (AMS) is apparently in trouble because of an operating licence.

A group of private air ambulance operators has filed a complaint against the Red Cross with the department of transport's council for airline licensing.

This week, private air ambulance service operators all over the country have questioned the Red Cross service's safety, legality and the so-called free service.

The group of operators are demanding that the Red Cross gives account of the legality of its service and its real capability as an air ambulance service after the helicopter disaster in the Southern Cape in which a nine-year-old girl and three crew members died.

Several questions were raised this week about this service's capabilities.

The private operators said the Red Cross does not have a G7 licence to operate as an air ambulance service.

Legal representative for the private air ambulance services, Marette Fouche, said a G7 licence is issued to all air services that want to operate as ambulance and emergency services.

An operator has to meet certain requirements before the council issues this licence. The Red Cross has been exempted from such a licence for the past few years, Fouche said.

She said she has already issued a request to the council that the Red Cross be forced to also apply for a G7 licence. The council also has to provide reasons why the Red Cross should be exempted from the licence.

The requirements for the licence include insurance for patients and proper guidelines for pilots.

The owner of a private air ambulance service who did not want to be named said nobody knows if the Red Cross adheres to any of the requirements and standards.

Monica Mabunda, secretary of the airline licensing council, confirmed that the Red Cross was recently exempted from the licence for a further 36 months.

Another private operator said the Red Cross has offered the fact that it delivers a free service as a charity organisation as an excuse for not having to have a licence. This free service is also being question. Die Burger is in possession of three quotes issued by the Red Cross for flights in the Northern Cape.

The quotes include sales tax and a rebate of 15% in a case where payment is made within 30 days. Louis Witten, service manager of the Red Cross, signed the quotes.

Susann Elphick, spokesperson for AMS, confirmed that the AMS was exempted from a G7 licence. This is because the Red Cross air ambulance service is protected under Section 138 of the airline licensing council.

The service has an agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority to meet all its requirements. This authority is welcome to investigate AMS at any time, Elphick said.

News24

[canthover]

Maybe I am missing something here?

If this is a free service then why write out and sign a quote?

Who pays for the running costs on machines such as Squirrel's and 105's? These are not exactly cheap - or is there some huge generous sponsor?

Who pays the commercial pilots (Hope all EMS pilots have some experience - RT thinks its not important - he fired all his ex STAR pilots) for their services - oh sorry pilots don't earn money - they just love flying so much and have such friendly bank managers! Oh and of course the helicopters themselves are not cheap.

Its fine having an exemption - these are applied for and granted all the time - but are there SOP's, an operating philosophy, safety program, call out criteria, GO/NO GO decision making criteria, hours of operation, etc etc - just a few things to keep it tidy?

Was this a daylight only service or 24 hour VFR - who decides when night VFR is dodge and should be an IFR operation - don't think the 105 is SPIFR equipped?

[Sir Cumference]

This is becomming quite messy!

[Daiseycutter]

And now the fur flies. Ok, so now that the dust has settled somewhat lets get into this a little bit more. I take exception to John Stone stating that they have a 39 year long record of no "accidents".

That may be so, but they have a litany of incidents in their not to distant checkered past - like knocking the nose wheel off of the Citation during a night landing at an unlit airport - like running the blades of this very same helicopter through trees whilst doing a scene call, in a school yard if my memory serves me right -like running this very same helicopter out of fuel and ending up autorotating into a field at the edge of Cape Town.

To this last point I might add that I've heard that the opposition at the time (STARS) had turned the trip down as there was no way that they could figure out how and where to get reserve fuel from, for a minimum 2 hour 30 minute flight using their 105.

The lines of decision making appear to be flawed.

So if an "accident" is the pinnacle for alot of "incidents", one might say that this was an accident looking for a place to happen.

From what we are told or read about this accident, is there yet again not another flawed line of decision making. Here are some thoughts and questions.

1) Launch time 18h15 or there abouts. George Sunset 18h34. Check the 138 Ops criteria about scene calls or EMS operations after dark.

2) Why so long on the scene when apparently no extrication involved?

3) Departed scene at 19h50, last radio contact at 20h20 after which nothing heard. How many miles away from the scene was the wreckage and what were they trying to do for 30 or more minutes?

4) Drivers report that visibility along the roads in the area was intermittently obscurred by fog and rain at the time.

5) SA CARs say what about helicopter night flight - Multi engine, Multi Crew or stabilized auto pilot?

6) Was their 105 even remotely close to being instrumented for night flight and night scene calls?

Anybody else got something to add?

Ok. So now lets all put on our thinking caps, sit back in our arm chairs and start pondering and postulating.

Bring out the CAT.

DC

[canthover]

And I was slated for my ealier comments about CFIT!

What about the idea of introducing NVG to EMS ops - this has been long in the pipeline from one of the AMS (read ex STAR) honcho's. This would only have got them to the accident quicker - but it points to what I was saying earlier about operating philosophy and the way the EMS industry has changed of late.

Sure - accidents will happen in aviation - in fact anywhwere where humans and machines intaract - but its normally the way we set about the task that determines how quickly this tragedy unfolds.

So - the 39 year history is not that rosy after all?

[Daiseycutter]

And now for some of those Pigeons.

Canthover

Reference your post before last - the State pays for the operating cost's etc. of the AMS through a non tendered source of funding amounting to millions of Rands every year.

Something else - the Red Cross did not own ZS RMR, the 105 in question. The owners are Tresso Trading 107 (Pty) Ltd. I'm wondering who may, or may not be, the members of this "shelf company" if you get my drift. Lots of non tendered funding moving around there. Same old SA "gravey training" happening maybe?

As to the CFIT assumption, here's just a thought. In light twin aircraft of this generation, be it a fixed wing Aztec or a rotary wing BO105, if you loose a "donkey" you loose about 80% of the aircrafts capabilities, unless of course you are extremely light. So until we find out if both the "donkeys" were doing their job at the time of impact, lets not go there just yet.

And if this post offends anyone, bear in mind that I haven't used, nor will I use any names. I'm just pondering.

DC

[canthover]

DC - I am with you on the donkey/performance issue.

The non tendered funding etc - thereby hangs a tale.....let's hear more.

[Irene]

AMS

I have been told from sources close to the top that the AMS aircraft are owned partly by the directors. What I want to know is that if the machines are owned as commercial property, how do you manage to swing a G7 exemption on the basis that you are non-profit?

What other exemptions do you get when you are non-profit, non-equitable pilot wages, poor safety programs? I am not suggesting that they would do this at AMS what I am mentioning is the mindset that people take towards non-profit organisations. Most of the time it is a "aahhh shame, they are non-profit and do it for humanity, leave them alone."

Are exemptions and other light-handed handling of non-profit organisations associated with an operation that has a tarnished safety record, as mentioned above. I also remember AMS doing a rescue with the 105 off a mountain in the western cape when the SAAF refused to do it in an Oryx (due to excessive wind conditions).

I wonder what mindset the CAA and Air Services Council are creating?

[alwaysinverted]

Mr. John Stone has carved a very nice little niche for himself and his family in the Red Cross AMS over the last 25 years. FACT!

His daughter is head of the Finance division there. They are not volunteer workers either, and they get paid each and every month. Its nice to hide a "commercial, non profit" organisation under the pretence that it's a charity!

The Red Cross AMS service is not for free. They charge! Its a normal revenue generating business, and they compete with Private Sector Operators. Government Health Services and Hospitals, Metro & others pay them for their services. I guess hospital plans, travel medical schemes and other medical insurances also pay them should they "casevac" a patient that carries the appropriate insurances.

No freebies there. The annual Red Cross Fundraiser contributes a little, but does not near enough cover their expenses.

Yes, its also true that they've had their fair share of incidents, in most cases, I believe, whilst pushing the envelope. Getting the job before someone else gets it.

When the BO 105 went down a couple of years ago on the flight from FASL to FACT with zero fuel remaining, I'm sure that the pilot was not effectively briefed on the mission, as he past both the Worcester & Paarl Medi Clinics where the Red Cross had fuel he could have uplifted. Maybe Management forced him to push the envelope! Silly thing to do and he payed dearly for it by having his ATP revoked follwing the inquiry. A re-write of some exams got him his ATP re-instated.

Everything normally works out pretty fine until sh1t happens. I don't for one minute believe that Jeremy should have done that flight. Having a night rating allows you to fly at night yes, but when you fly into "the big dark hole and possible weather with no references", you need good pieces of IF equipment and the necessary skills to deal with it, and the BO 105 was'nt exactly equipped with a "state of the art" I.F. Panel. Very basic. Considering the mountainous environment at night, also would not have made it easy.

I'm not suggesting that Jeremy was not highly skilled, but maybe he went on that flight as he was "forced to push the envelope". We will never know. We will also never know the cause of the accident, but we can speculate, and I will bet my last bottom dollar that the incompetent team of the SACAA will rule it as pilot error! It's always pilot error. In this case the wreck is burnt beyond recognition, so how will they ever determine that one engine could have failed, and caused the accident, if there is nothing to examine and check? They're going to say it was dark, misty and rainy, and the pilot became disorientated due to lack of proper instrumentation, given the fact that IMC or partial IMC conditions prevailed during the flight, therefore it's pilot error.

In my 40 years of aviating, I have seen many a strange thing happen. After accidents, the DCA/CAA, Insurance Companies & Assessors manipulate things, I'm sure, the way they want to. Classic cases of insurers refusing to pay because of pilot error is very common. They'll always try and find a way to repudiate a claim. Airworthiness issues, instrumentation, ratings, logbook entries and flight hours etc, are all things that sudenly come up when there's money to be paid out.Therefore, I'm sure, if the American Family intends sueing the Red Cross, they'll possibly get nowhere, as the insurers would have agreed with the SACAA findings, and blamed it on the pilot.

It is really sad, this terrible accident, and it has changed the lives of many people in the process. The sufferings of the poor families, children growing up without a father. The trauma remains endless!

The Red Cross will however not be phased, because they're just going about doing their business. They'll more than likely acquire another helicopter, employ another crew and it will be business as usual.

No G7, no competition, cause they're a charity!

[Irene]

Well said alwaysinverted I agree 100%, especially about this crash changing nothing real in terms of casual factors, the only change is to the poor lives of the 105 occupants and their family & friends.

[B Sousa]

Jeremy had a current instrument and night rating, however the heli was not IFR compliant.

TakeaBreath
Based on your statement here, Weather etc. Its a sad situation of continued VFR into IMC conditions. Not unlike so many that seem to plague EMS Crews around the world.
Basically the Pilot is in up to his neck with just the piloting workload, then add the pressure of getting an injured person to safety, throw in an Aircraft not really equipped for IFR and IFR weather. All are links that add to the tragic ending.
We have seen it before and we will see it again.

He crashed between 4 and 600 feet below the summit

Another thing that seems strange as I always read about "almost cleared the ridge" I have lost a few good friends "just below the summit" Ironic.

I see some previous postings doing a lot of finger pointing at Owners, Red Cross etc. When all is said and done, I think the answer is going to come back down to the man at the controls. Somewhere someone should have said ...NO As tough as it might have been.