Helicopter Crash Kills 3, Puts Transplant on Hold
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Helicopter Crash Kills 3, Puts Transplant on Hold
By JENNIFER KAY Associated Press
MIAMI December 27, 2011 (AP)
A helicopter that was on its way to retrieve a heart for transplant crashed in northern Florida, killing all three on board and leaving the transplant patient having to wait for another organ to become available.
The helicopter departed from a Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville on Monday around 5:45 a.m. carrying a surgeon and a technician along with the pilot. But the helicopter never arrived at the Gainesville hospital, Shands at University of Florida, about 60 miles to the southwest, said Kathy Barbour, a spokeswoman for Mayo, which is based in Rochester, Minn.
Killed were heart surgeon Dr. Luis Bonilla, procurement technician David Hines and the pilot, whose name wasn't released.
MIAMI December 27, 2011 (AP)
A helicopter that was on its way to retrieve a heart for transplant crashed in northern Florida, killing all three on board and leaving the transplant patient having to wait for another organ to become available.
The helicopter departed from a Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville on Monday around 5:45 a.m. carrying a surgeon and a technician along with the pilot. But the helicopter never arrived at the Gainesville hospital, Shands at University of Florida, about 60 miles to the southwest, said Kathy Barbour, a spokeswoman for Mayo, which is based in Rochester, Minn.
Killed were heart surgeon Dr. Luis Bonilla, procurement technician David Hines and the pilot, whose name wasn't released.
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Night flight with a transplant surgeon in an old B206?? Even if you discount the reportedly light fog in the area - which may well though turn out to be significant - this is surely just madness, with far too high a risk. Is certainly considered so in Europe anyway. Well debated subject I know, but this seems to be another strong pointer to IFR twins being mandated for night flights.
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n5296s
Well I clearly don't know what happened, but quite frankly if nothing happened and the flight was successful I'd still say it was madness in this day and age. So you think it's fine to fly 206s on this sort of mission at night do you?
And anyway, I reckon the chances are pretty high that the accident will be found to be caused by a related risk - ie either LOC in IMC or engine failure. So what do you think n5296s?
Well I clearly don't know what happened, but quite frankly if nothing happened and the flight was successful I'd still say it was madness in this day and age. So you think it's fine to fly 206s on this sort of mission at night do you?
And anyway, I reckon the chances are pretty high that the accident will be found to be caused by a related risk - ie either LOC in IMC or engine failure. So what do you think n5296s?
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From the US press:
Bergen said the helicopter went down about 12 miles northeast of Palatka, which is about 40 miles east of Gainesville.
Federal and local investigators were on the scene Tuesday to look through the wreckage, Clay County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Russ Burke said Tuesday.
The site was about a mile off a dirt road in a densely wooded area, and the crash ignited a fire that burned about 10 acres of woods, Burke said.
The wreckage was discovered around noon Monday, and the aircraft was not in one piece, he said.
“It was well hidden in the woods,” Burke said. “If it hadn’t set the woods on fire it might have been awhile before anyone spotted it.”
Federal and local investigators were on the scene Tuesday to look through the wreckage, Clay County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Russ Burke said Tuesday.
The site was about a mile off a dirt road in a densely wooded area, and the crash ignited a fire that burned about 10 acres of woods, Burke said.
The wreckage was discovered around noon Monday, and the aircraft was not in one piece, he said.
“It was well hidden in the woods,” Burke said. “If it hadn’t set the woods on fire it might have been awhile before anyone spotted it.”
Firstly.... RIP to the pilot and passengers.
Secondly, while I agree this may not have been the best decision to take off under these circumstances, I get pi$$ed off at all the "high and mighty" who are all over any crash in the US, yet if it was in Europe, we would be yelled at for "speculating".
The flight was NOT an EMS helicopter but a charter from SK Jets, the pilot who died was the president of the company.
I will speculate that there is a high probability of weather being the related cause...but will also add, (and as most know--I am NOT an EMS pilot), that these flights can be made safely in 206's. It comes down to training and attitude, not necessarily the aircraft. Sometimes one needs to say "no".
Secondly, while I agree this may not have been the best decision to take off under these circumstances, I get pi$$ed off at all the "high and mighty" who are all over any crash in the US, yet if it was in Europe, we would be yelled at for "speculating".
The flight was NOT an EMS helicopter but a charter from SK Jets, the pilot who died was the president of the company.
I will speculate that there is a high probability of weather being the related cause...but will also add, (and as most know--I am NOT an EMS pilot), that these flights can be made safely in 206's. It comes down to training and attitude, not necessarily the aircraft. Sometimes one needs to say "no".
SM
Regardless of whether I agree with you or not.... You cannot even have any condolences.... People like you should be banned... I will not engage further with you.... as most on here have already done so--I will now ignore you. Good Bye.
Regardless of whether I agree with you or not.... You cannot even have any condolences.... People like you should be banned... I will not engage further with you.... as most on here have already done so--I will now ignore you. Good Bye.
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Gordy, I totally agree with you. As far as I know there is nothing wrong with the 206 in a night flight. It is all about attitude and training. If someone thinks that having more then one engine will cover for poor piloting skills and lack of judgement then I feel sorry for them. SM is just wasting air. As far as everything else is concerned we are just speculating.
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Gordy
The first words I wrote on this tragedy were: Another senseless loss.
Do you really need to use (abuse?) the memories of the victims of such unnecessary tragedies attack me or anyone else devoted to accident prevention simply to justify your own low aspirations of safety?
blcl
I didn't mention engines. I think your own predudices are surfacing.
The first words I wrote on this tragedy were: Another senseless loss.
Do you really need to use (abuse?) the memories of the victims of such unnecessary tragedies attack me or anyone else devoted to accident prevention simply to justify your own low aspirations of safety?
blcl
I didn't mention engines. I think your own predudices are surfacing.
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By 'nothing wrong' do you mean legal?
It is exceptionally high risk.
Think about private medical costs in the US. Is it right to use the lowest common denominator aircraft to do this task?
It is exceptionally high risk.
Think about private medical costs in the US. Is it right to use the lowest common denominator aircraft to do this task?
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Ah the high and mighty SM, the king of 'twins are the answer to everything' 
. Have you ever seen the slightest expression of condolences for anybody killed or injured in any post of his . No, everything is just another useless item of propaganda in his campaign to prove that he is a 'safety expert' and Shell are the world leaders in safety, rather than just another oil company which will use its corporate billions of $$$ profits to appear to be supporting good safety causes and cultures, whilst still cutting every corner it can and using every trick in the book to force helicopter operators to cut costs and then blaming them if things go wrong .
I guess when he did his pilot training it was in a twin? Yeah right 
The sheer hypocrisy of this jumped up little squirt's posts beggar belief 
. Have you ever seen the slightest expression of condolences for anybody killed or injured in any post of his . No, everything is just another useless item of propaganda in his campaign to prove that he is a 'safety expert' and Shell are the world leaders in safety, rather than just another oil company which will use its corporate billions of $$$ profits to appear to be supporting good safety causes and cultures, whilst still cutting every corner it can and using every trick in the book to force helicopter operators to cut costs and then blaming them if things go wrong .
Use of a single pilot rotorcraft. at night.
The sheer hypocrisy of this jumped up little squirt's posts beggar belief
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Two crew at night
Single pilot at night, what's wrong with that?
Do we not train pilots any more to be able to fly on their own at night? If not then we may as well write off the small commercial industry if we are going to have to pay for two pilots. Europe is managing to do that.
I don't think that at this stage we can bring the twin engined debate into the equation as we do not know whether having a second engine in this case would have prevented this terrible accident.
SM we must remember that different countries operate different rules. In Europe there are some very good rules and some absolutely daft ones. In the U.S. they are the same. The U.S. has managed to make the industry a damn site more popular than Europe for various reasons. Whilst Europe MAY provide rules for a safer environment they are very prohibitive in many areas. Who is right?
Rather than rant on about the twin debate or pushing the point that all flights at night should be two crew perhaps we should focus on good pilot training from the start. Only a suggestion.
RIP for the poor folks involved.
Do we not train pilots any more to be able to fly on their own at night? If not then we may as well write off the small commercial industry if we are going to have to pay for two pilots. Europe is managing to do that.
I don't think that at this stage we can bring the twin engined debate into the equation as we do not know whether having a second engine in this case would have prevented this terrible accident.
SM we must remember that different countries operate different rules. In Europe there are some very good rules and some absolutely daft ones. In the U.S. they are the same. The U.S. has managed to make the industry a damn site more popular than Europe for various reasons. Whilst Europe MAY provide rules for a safer environment they are very prohibitive in many areas. Who is right?
Rather than rant on about the twin debate or pushing the point that all flights at night should be two crew perhaps we should focus on good pilot training from the start. Only a suggestion.
RIP for the poor folks involved.
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Rather than rant on about the twin debate or pushing the point that all flights at night should be two crew perhaps we should focus on good pilot training from the start. Only a suggestion.