QLD HEMS accident rate

[Heliport]

news.com.au State tops accidents for rescue choppers
Leanne Edmistone
January 3, 2005

QUEENSLAND'S helicopter emergency medical services have the worst accident rate in the country, accounting for the industry's only crashes nationally in the past 10 years.

The state's accident rate was also significantly higher than that seen internationally.

A study of 1992-2002 data found Australian medical helicopters had an accident rate of 4.38 for every 100,000 flying hours, but Queensland's rate was 25.03 for every 100,000 flying hours.

In the US, the accident rate was 4.83 (1992-2001) and Germany's was 10.9 (1982-87).

Queensland recorded three accidents between 1992 and 2002 – May 1993, May 1997 and July 2000. A fourth accident in October 2003 was not included in the study, but reinforced its conclusions.

Any thoughts?

[SMOUFW]

Any Thoughts???

Not knowing any details on the Qld accidents mentioned....were there any common denominators in some or all of the accidents??? ie,IFR or VFR,two pilot or SP, twin or single, day or night ops,etc??? As a result of these accident(s )were any changes(SOP's) implemented so that further accidents/incidents could be minimised???

[bwm85]

that story featured on national nine news last night, not sure if anyone caught it. Alot of footage of the Careflight 412 and something was briefly mention bout VMC, VFR however i couldn't really hear anything over the noise where i was watching it. Somebody else may have seen it and can elaborate more.

[pohm1]

As I recall, all accidents occured with single pilot, single engine VFR/NVFR machines.

[overpitched]

The statistics look sensational on the 6 oclock news and I guess that is the idea but with such a low rate of accidents generally it is not hard to make the queensland figures look and sound a lot worse than they really are.

From memory one accident was a vfr B206L that crashed in fog while low on fuel and one of the other 3 accidents was the same operator but a vfr B407 that ended in the water at night while attempting an approach to a strichen yacht

The third accident I can't recall

[Steve76]

Has the CASA report into the CFIT come out yet?
As I heard from the horses mouth: the 407 waiting in the water for the 412 crew was not even requested to be there. Initiative - right up there with presumption.

[Texdoc]

Here is the CFIT Report

27 April 01 Swain Reefs (http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/occurs/occurs_detail.cfm?ID=473)

And the Marlborough Accident

24 July 2000 Marlborough (http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/occurs/occurs_detail.cfm?ID=372)

and the Oxy explosion

Tatrus Station (http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/occurs/occurs_detail.cfm?ID=326)

[lifer1]

A lot could be said on this subject but I know the accidents previously mentioned had nothing to do with twin V single or IFR V NVFR.
It would seem a few individuals in the medical world are now self appointed aviation experts.I think medical people should stick to medicine and let aviation people do aviation!!.
If my memory serves me correctly in the decade prior to the mentioned period in NSW two twin engined machines pranged in seperate incidents.
Im only pointing this out as an example that twins can have accidents as good as a single!!,the difference being a whole lot more $$$$ wasted as well as potentially more lives.It makes no difference if its a robbie or a puma,if the person in charge of the a/c isn,t on top of the whole situation then He /She should't be there in the first place.At night a lot of options are not there so planning and intercrew disscussions before departure could save you and lots more people a lot of pain.It may only take an extra few minutes but it puts the whole mission in a clear perspective to all onboard the a/c.
Don't want to open up a can of worms here but am getting a bit tired of armchair aviation experts talking from the wrong hole.

[Scattercat]

Lifer1
I totally agree with your sentiment that it's more a question of pilot limitations rather that Single "V" Twin. However, don't be too quick to jump on these "self appointed aviation experts" ... the co-author of this report is not just a well respected Dr but a helicopter pilot as well. He's also very pro' EMS aviation but wants to see it done properly and above all, safely.

[Ogsplash]

At the risk of getting into a lies, damned lies and statistics argument, I'd like to comment on some issues here. I was involved in the investigation of the Swains Reef accident and there were many issues not just one...and it had nothing to do with single vs twin. There are issues about flying over water at night and there are issues about management practices. I also looked into accident rates and in Australia over a 10 to 15 year period, a piston engine helicopter was roughly twice as likely to prang a single turbine which was more than twice as likely to prang as a twin. But when I looked more deeply at the individual accidents, very few had anything to do with the powerplant! It seems a better measure was how expensive the machines were! Simple stats ignore the role of the machines (mustering vs HEMS vs tour) and ignore the level of supervision and training.

There is, I believe, a very big issue about night ops in Australia and there is and will be a lively debate about the use of Night Vision Devices and things like Night VFR. My own personal belief is that if you can't fly with reference to a valid visual horizon, you are effectively flying IFR. We should bring in NVDs as soon as practicable provided the equipment, training and currency issues are addressed. The HAA is doing some good work here.

Just my two pennies worth.

[lifer1]

Re Ogslpashs comments,
I recently had a look and play with a set of the latest NVGs and I was amazed to say the least!. I know that it's early days but I firmly belive this is the way of the future.Not only will they make approachs in to areas of poor light better but if you had an urgent situation arise during a A --B flt at night that nessatated an immediate landing your chances of finding a spot down there in the black would be seriously enhanced.
The sooner these devices become the norm the better I say.
My comments re armchair experts still stands ,all I would like is for these sort of people to look at the "big picture" and not to run with the media show as some of the medical people have done before getting on national TV and trying to destabilise a small and dedicated group of helicopter people who are mostly doing a good job around the countryside.
Lets look and find some solutions and stop rubbishing the whole group when only a few have run a muck!.

[Rot8tor]

Lifer1

I know b****r all about it but seems to me Training, Procedures and appropriate relevant Equipment are the answer.

But must congratulate you on the bestest spelling yet ..... "nessatated" - you're write we must unite - frenetic spelling is the way ahead!

Smoking Ashes!