Bell 407 down off Queensland coast
 

ABC News Online

Quote:

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One dead, two missing in Qld helicopter crash.

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Hamilton Island, the largest inhabited island of the 74 tropical Whitsunday islands, is just off the Queensland Coast and at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.

http://www.mackay.qld.gov.au/__data/...mackay_map.jpg

UP DATE Rescue Chopper
 

Chopper crashes off Mackay, 2 dead
October 18, 2003

2 RESCUE workeras are dead and one other is missing after a helicopter on a medical evacuation flight crashed into the ocean off the Queensland coast overnight.

Australian Search and Rescue was notified just after 10.30pm (AEST) last night that the helicopter carrying three men on a 30-minute flight from Mackay to Hamilton Island failed to arrive to collect a man with a broken leg.

Air Services Australia say contact was lost with the helicopter 28km north of Mackay.

A Hamilton Island based rescue helicopter was sent to find the chopper, a Bell 407, and with the aid of a spotlight found it upturned just under the surface of the water.

The body of a man aged in his 30s was found floating in the water near the wreckage. a second body has been recovered


Another helicopter with an infrared camera searched for the other two rescue personnel - also men aged in their 30s - while a fixed-wing aircraft searched above the site.

Hamilton island (the destination) has a fully serviceable airport with most aids.
Mackay (departure point) has a fully servicable airport with most aids.
Why does a single engine night VFR 407 embark on a night flight over water to pick up a person with a broken leg. This was not a rescue it was a transfer flight. surely an aeroplane would have been the logical answer for the task.
It's no wonder that medical staff are becoming more reticent about boarding helicopters with the ammount of single engine helicopter night flights that have ended in fatalities in Australia.
We have a terrible history in this regard.

My sincere condolences to the families of the young pilot and the keen young crewmen who are no longer with us.
RIP

Deeper,

As you can't possibly know the specifics of the injury, or the availability of other aircraft, and must be aware that family members may be viewing this forum; perhaps you could have been a little less judgemental?

Deeper

Pull your head in you fool.:mad:

a bit more info
 

Two men are confirmed dead and one is still missing after a rescue helicopter crashed into the sea off Mackay, on the central Queensland coast.

Two bodies have been found floating near the wreckage this morning.

A full scale search is under way for the other missing crew member.

The CQ Rescue chopper had been flying a standard mission to Hamilton Island to pick up an injured person.

The alarm was raised when the three-man crew failed to reach the island at around 10:30pm AEST on Friday.

With the help of air traffic control tapes, a helicopter search found the wreckage of the Bell 407 in the sea north-west of Mackay shortly after it was reported missing.

When first spotted, the helicopter was floating in the water with the aid of emergency floats. It has since sunk.

Police divers will shortly begin searching the wreckage, which is 6.5 metres underwater.

CQ Rescue Helicopter president John Bird says there is no obvious cause for the crash.

"All of the crew were experienced and the night last night was a clear night with very little wind, and there were no adverse weather conditions and the aircraft was shortly out from Mackay," he said.

ABC online

I visited the operation in Mackay about a year ago and was very impressed with the operation there. The 407 looked in great order, crew seemed to be very much on the ball and being a CHC Australia operation I wouldnt have expected anything otherwise.

That part of Queensland seems to be a haven for accidents in the EMS world. Just look back over the past couple of years.

Not making any assumptions on what happened but hope they find the cause soon. Sad to see another crew lost in a tragic waste of helicopter industry professionals.

:E

Firstly, my condolences to the family and friends of those lost in this tragic accident.
This sad occasion may not be the time or the place to bring up this topic but isn't it time that single engine night operations in helicopters came to an end (EMS and marine pilot transfers included)
I'm afraid if this doesn't happen we will be reading about many more friends and collegues perishing in similar circumstances in the future.
If there are other people that think this should end what can we do as a group to put pressure on CASA to stop this lunacy ASAP.

Singles or twins, they can all go in for various reasons, so how about some respect for the crew and wait for investigations.

I apologise if I offended anyone by posting this subject on this thread.I mean't no disrespect to the crew.

Crusty Scab and Trimpot...
 

Dr Deeper, was not being judgemental. read his words not your emotions. the questions he/she asks are relevant, and will be asked again and again in the coming months.

He is very observant.....take the time and review the statistics.

And Yes, lets not allow this thread to droop to the detriment of our Industry, and at the same time, lets not hide from the facts.

From the Sunday Mail Brisbane
 

Mystery over chopper crash
DAVID ENGLISH and MELISSA KETCHELL
19oct03
AIR safety investigators were last night trying to unravel the mystery of why a rescue helicopter crashed at full speed into the sea off Mackay.

There was no distress message, no emergency beacons were activated and weather conditions were "perfect for flying" during the ill-fated mercy flight in which two crewmen died and another is missing feared dead.

The Central Queensland Rescue Service Bell 407 inexplicably crashed north of Mackay, between Cape Hillsborough and Green Island, about 15 minutes after taking off at 9.35pm on Friday.

The helicopter had been on a routine flight to Hamilton Island to pick up a woman who had broken her leg.

Preliminary investigations indicated the helicopter ploughed into the waves at full speed.

It was believed the pilot and two paramedics, all aged 32, died on impact. Their names had not been released last night.

By late yesterday the bodies of two of the three crewmen had been recovered. Searchers were not optimistic about finding the third man alive.

The pilot involved in the latest accident had extensive experience with marine helicopters and was on a flight described as routine.

Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman Ben Mitchell said there were several puzzling aspects to the crash. There was no emergency call from the chopper and no distress beacons were triggered, indicating the crash was without warning.

Early indications were the helicopter had hit the water while flying at normal cruising speed, rather than having crashed after an engine failure.

The first sign that something had gone wrong came when the Bell 407 failed to arrive at Hamilton Island on time. Authorities called the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra when it was 15 minutes late.

The Rescue Centre asked Air Services Australia, which monitors aircraft, to check radar identification tapes. The check revealed contact had been lost with the Bell 407 about 15 minutes into the 30-minute flight.

A helicopter was sent from Hamilton Island and saw wreckage floating just below the surface.

A volunteer vessel from Mackay found the body of one man floating close to the wrecked chopper. There was no sign of the two crew members.

A second search helicopter equipped with an infra-red camera was called in about 2am yesterday.

At daybreak yesterday the task of trying to find crew members continued.

Four helicopters, two planes and three boats went back to the crash area to search for the two missing men. Just before 9am, police divers found a second body in the wreckage.

A team from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau arrived at the crash site late yesterday morning to begin an official investigation.

The US-based company that provided the helicopter, which had been in service since September 2001, is sending representatives to Mackay to conduct its own inquiry.

The injured woman, who had broken her leg in a golf buggy accident, was transferred to Mackay Hospital by boat yesterday morning.

Premier Peter Beattie paid tribute to the crash victims, describing them as heroes.

"These are good people who put their lives at risk every day. They are the real heroes who make this state work," he said.

Mr Beattie said the Government would do everything possible to support the families of the victims.

"My heart goes out to them . . . we are all shocked."

The crash was the third involving rescue helicopters in Queensland in the past three years.

In April 2001, a Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service Bell 407 crashed into the ocean during a night mission 240km off Rockhampton.

In July 2000, five people died when a Bell LongRanger crashed near Marlborough, north of Rockhampton.

And the Whitsundays was the scene of a tragedy in September last year, when a Piper Cherokee plane crashed soon after takeoff from Hamilton Island, killing all six on board.

Very very sad. Condolences to families and friends.

The following is said without *any* intention of disrespect to the dedicated crew who have lost their lives in this tragic accident and is in memory of colleagues that I have lost in the past.

I have been involved in a past life with many medevacs over many years, in acft varying from single heli to jet. One thing that has struck me is that there has been this enthusiasm from medical and lay sources for aerial transport, especially at night, for many injuries/illnesses that could in fact have waited either for daylight, or could have been completed by surface (boat/road/hovercraft...).

I am not for one instant making a judgment on the decision to dispatch in this case, but I have seen cases in the past where there has been a fracture (or two) where the patient has been splinted, is comfortable, has no compromise to circulation/sensation or other risk to the limb, but has been transported by air at great cost, and some increased risk by air, and especially at night in non-IFR acft. The same could be said for many non-trauma cases, as well. It is very dark at night over water and you really are on instruments - even on moonlit nights an orientable horizon can be difficult to discern.

Aeromedical transport can be fast and life-saving (seen that more frequently than the above, I'll admit ), but the risk and cost must be balanced against the benefits, as for any life activity. Even for the unstable patient, not moving, or moving by road/sea can offer benefits if there is no ICU level team trained in aeromedical transfer/retrieval as there is little chance of doing much active medical treatment in flight due to noise/vibration, etc., all of which can make some medical conditions worse. And, yes, many lives have been saved by night VFR flights, that would otherwise have been lost, but the risks and benefits must be clearly balanced.....

Again, condolences for loss of these three fine folk, who were trying to help to the best of their ability.

NOtimTAMs :(

Names released
 

Sunday, October 19, 2003. 1:43pm (AEST)

Authorities have begun investigations into Friday night's rescue helicopter crash that killed three men off Queensland's central coast.

The CQ rescue helicopter was on a routine medical retrival to Hamilton Island off Queensland's central coast when it crashed into the sea near Mackay killing all three on board.

Experts from Brisbane have arrived in the region to begin identifying the remains that were found near the site of a crash that killed the three crew.

Police have released their names - the pilot was New Zealand-born Andrew Carpenter, the crewman were Stewart Eva and paramedic Craig Liddington, all all aged 31.

Investigators are hoping to salvage the Bell 407 chopper to determine what went wrong during a routine medical evacuation from Hamilton Island.

The chopper is now six-and-a-half metres under water about 15 nautical miles north of Mackay near Cape Hillsborough.

Representatives of Bell and engine manufacturer Rolls Royce are on their way to assist in the investigation.

The salvage is expected to take several days with investigators yet to inspect audio and radar tapes in the lead up to the crash.

Queensland Emergency Services Minister Mike Reynolds says it is a shocking accident.

"Every day of the week our emergency services personnel risk their lives for Queenslanders every day, and our heart must be very much out to those who've lost their lives, their families and colleagues as well," he said.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says the State Government will be looking closely at the report into the crash.

But he says his immediate thoughts are with the families of those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.

"Every day the paramedics and the services put their lives at risk," he said.

"They are real heroes and my commiserations and the commiserations of all Queenslanders go to the families of those men who tragically lost their lives."

It is the third rescue helicopter crash in central Queensland in the past three years, claiming eight lives.

Five people were killed three years ago when a Capricorn rescue helicopter ran low on fuel and crashed on a property near Marlborough.

One year later, two men escaped death when their rescue chopper ditched into the ocean near Swains Reef off Rockhampton.

Meanwhile, 240 kilometres off the coast of Gladstone, a search is underway for a man who fell overboard last night.

The alarm was raised around midnight when several passengers saw the man fall off the edge of the charter fishing boat.

ABC Online

The report has a picture and video footage of the recovery etc.

Can anyone relate the WX conditions for that evening?
Obiously it was CAVOK but was there any moon etc...

NVFR over water without an horizon is IFR.

Steve 76,
SAR forcast we recieved that night:
Valid 172000Z to 180800Z
For coast between Mackay & Hamilton Island
Overview:
Very isolated showers sea and coast until 23Z
Winds:
SFC 120/18 1000 100/15 2000 070/15
Cloud:
SCT CUSU 2500/8000
Weather: SHRA
Vis: 4000m in SHRA
24deg
1015

Not a terrible night to fly WX wise??

NOtimTAMs, my thoughts exactly. Over the years I have often questioned the need to move non-urgent patients at night. My thoughts & sympathies are with the families of the crew.

DF.

No disrespect for the crew or families
Having done a fair bit of MPT work in the area there are not many nights you would want to fly NVFR over water in the whitsundays... after leaving the coast from mackay to hamilton there are not many visual references on a black night, the approach to hamilton is from the south, the resort is on the northern side.... so not much visible lighting from the south.
this only leaves navigation by reference the instruments.... isn't that IFR????

Brisbane radar track apparently shows a right turn followed by a climbing sharp left turn, then steep descent before lost from radar.

Sadly this is another example that VFR machines should not be doing this off shore work at night especially in EMS where the pressure is high to get the job done or face criticism.

Praise must be given to the crew from Hamilton Island for the fast response and subsequent finding of the downed 407.
This was carried out in an IFR BK117 with two pilots, two crew and nitesun. Good work Garry....

Lets hope that the authorities finally get their act together, there have been too many NVFR EMS accidents in QLD over the past few years.... due to flight in non NVFR conditions.

Condolances to the families involved...:(

Scattercat & steve76


Lowest Safe Between MKY and HTI is 3000.

With a forcast of SCT CU/SC 2500/8000... its not too good seeing as your CRZ LVL VFR should be 4500
Also pilots flying in the area reported no moon that night, makes for a very black night over water.

Didnt know the other crew members but knew Andy Carpenter. As well as being a subscriber to my magazine since it started he was a very nice guy and a competent pilot. He spent about three years flying for Heli Pro at Wellington in New Zealand before moving to instruct on 300Cs in Melbourne.

Then he got a job with Marine Helicopters in Gladstone flying marine pilot transfers etc. He got a break only a few weeks ago flying the 407. For what its worth he died doing what he loved. Funeral is probably going to be in his hometown of Blenheim here in Kiwiland.

Will post any further details re funeral when I hear them.

Autorotate.

Another sad accident.

Without commenting on this specific tragdy, I would like to respond to the quote:
"Everyday the paramedics and the services put their lives at risk".
Why not reduce those risks by making the proper tools for the job available then?
Worldwide, HEMS aircraft seem to be at the bottom end of performance, equipment and last but not least, funding. Either recognise the limitations of those aircraft and stop tasking them for situations that they are not designed nor equipped for, or spend proper money and buy decent all weather equipment.:* and do the required training on it.

It's not fair to ask people to put their lives on the line to save somebody else when the community or operator or whoever is to skint to pay for proper transport, and then to call them heroes if the inevitable accident occurs:yuk:

Sorry for the rant, this is touching a nerve.

S76Heavy
 

I happen to agree totally with your observation, but have received a number of decenting PM's for my seemingly innocent comments.

There are a number of world class HEMS operations around Australia. These are all Multi Engine IFR Operations.

Then there is the next level down, which is operated by a group of Professional Pilots flying substandard equipment for the tasks that are sent their way [and the reason I am aware of this? I left, before I was to a statistic].

I am not casting doubts on any of the crews, or that engineer who signed the machine servicable, but rather the faceless individuals that are behind the scence, that allow, promote and legislate to permit such pressures to be placed on the crew.

You think this may be rubbing a raw nerve, then just wait until the team of Barristers gets their day in court, and watch these faceless individuals duck and weave.

Unfortuantely it won't assist this crew, but hopefully we will see something positive eventuate for me losing another collegue.

No doubt the how and why will come out in the wash.
My thoughts are with the families of the deceased.
Andy was a nice young man who was too young to die.

RIP:(

S76Heavy
Totally agree with your "rant". Lots of us are hurting.
All to often the tasking agencies don't fully apreciate the limitations of particular equipment / operations and therefore the "go/no-go" decision comes back to the crew. How many times have we all looked back on a particular flight and in the light of day realised that we probably made the wrong call. (Just because we didn't have an accident didn't make it right!)
Unfortunatley the high level of skill & professionalism amongst most operators often masks the limitations of the equipment they are given to do the job with.
My 2 cents worth.

I bumped into Andy a long time ago. Very sad.

It strikes me that there is very little wrong with the flying a single engine machine on this type of work. Nick can provide us with the stats....

No doubt it was equiped for NVFR/IFR work but was the pilot.

NO DISRESPECT here....don't go blasting me for this. Like I said.....I knew Andy as an associate as most pilots out of NZ do.
There are very few of us that haven't bumped into each other. The list of pilots I have met that now rest below our land is starting to become scary.

I fly with a lot of guys who have brand new IFR tickets. I used to be one of them. Very few of these guys would survive minutes in an IFR environment without someone to show them the ropes. Fortunately I had a bunch of very experienced lads teach me a thing or two...cheers Bakes, DC, BM, SD.
It is one thing to have bombed around on the sim and the heli simulating this but entirely another to be out doing it. As we all know the ticket is a licence to learn IFR. Do I hear a round of "Amens...."?

The reason I asked the question regarding the WX was obviously to accertain whether this was a time when more of the IFR skills were needed as opposed to the NVFR. If you haven't got a lot of time up on the clocks in cloud then offshore at night without a horizon is paramount to dangerous.

We have a bunch of Northern bases up here in CA that we service 24/7. It is so black without moonlight that once you lift off from the lit area it is like flying in outer space. You have to be on the clocks or you are dead. Technically it is planned as VFR but it is 100% IFR. I take my hat off to the pilots at these bases. I certainly notice the intensity of the workload when I am asked to fill in for a night shift up there. You cannot do this work with only a NVFR rating or a basic IFR without experience.

The trend in Queensland is testimony to this.

RIP Andy Carpenter.

Steve76,

I realise this is a `rumour' network but arn't you a little premature in saying the accident in Qld was pilot error? The gist of your post made it pretty obvious that you believe this accident was pilot error, none of us know what happened that night and it's pretty poor taste to speculate and discredit someone who recently died.

M/V - From the info I got it would seem, and I only say SEEM, that it was CFIT, or in this case CFIW.

Part of the info I received was that there was no maday call, according to ATC, and that according to those on the scene it hit very hard and very shallow. Bodies had to be identified by DNA and dental records because of the force of the impact.

Now I am not an accident investigator and have no desire to say if it was Andy's fault or mechanical failure. He was a really nice guy, good at his job but the only person that can really tell us 100% what happened is not alive to do so.

Finding the cause will allow all minds to be put at rest. The one thing that surprises me though is that Andy had just been working for Marine Helicopters doing marine pilot transfers over the same piece of ocean so was up to speed on night VFR but close friends of his said he didnt have an IFR rating. Does this make a difference, I dont honestly know as I am not a commercial pilot. Only those on this forum that fly that patch can answer that with accuracy.

I do know that this is yet another sad loss for the Aussie industry. Young, dedicated pilots with a passion for this industry are few and far between, without losing them like this.

Andy will be sorely missed, will he be the last, I doubt it.

Autorotate.

I think what we need to do is not speculate on this particular accident because at present we don't know exactly what went wrong.
What we should be discussing is why in this day and age there are non-IFR pilots flying around Australia (and the world) in single engine, non-IFR aircraft, single pilot in IFR conditions.
They are flying in NGT VMC conditions but without ground or celestial illumination.
Flying off the coast of Australia with no moon is IFR.

Just another rumour that I got via text message from friends in QLD. Apparently, according to Brisbane ATC, the 407 lost height very abdruptly from its cruising alt of 1500 ft to just above sea level in very very quick time, estimates of about five to six seconds.

Those that know the aircraft and its performance capabilties might be able explain what might have caused this. This throws doubts on the pilot error scenario in my opinion.

Autorotate.

Twins 'v' singles
 

Having flown and trained many pilots in a single engine helicopter over water, at night for the last 7 years. I need to quash the whole "it wouldn't happen in a twin" cr@p. Read the crash comics on the super puma with check and training captains at the wheel? It still hit the water!

From current IFR Twin Captains to guys just obtaining their night ratings, there has been no real difference in how they fly once we get out to the "black" and approach the ship. Evetyone makes the same mistakes.

It all comes down to currency/training. Not the size or number of engines.

RIP Andy & crew.

Heliport.......
 

You certainly know how to stop a discussion...............

We in Oz pride ourselves on taking the hard hits, even when we loose our friends under such circumstances.

If you divert this thread, then you will loose the vital input that may save the next crew from the same fate.

In case you are unaware, in this area of Oz, there has been eight fatalities, and the loss of at least five airframes in the last four years.

There is a lot of expertise and information that has yet to surface here..........

Leave it alone, we are all big enough to read and accept the facts [assuming it is fact]...

But I do agree....its far to early to look at pilot error....perhaps we should look at why BHT has despatched their expert on tailrotor failures to the area.

Never been accused of that before. :eek: I was actually trying to bring more people into the discussion.
I know from experience that many people are very reluctant, out of respect for a deceased pilot, to join in a discussion about possible causes on a thread which reports a crash when the facts aren't known. That's a perfectly reasonable approach, and is why I posted a link to a recent discussion on s/e night VFR which wasn't related to a particular incident.
ie If it turns out to be mechanical failure, it's a bit rough on the memory of the pilot if people assume it was pilot error, even in difficult conditions.

I appreciate your input, will assume it reflects the majority view and delete the link.

Heliport

First, I have no idea what happened in this case. In response to the posts touting heavy metal as the answer, I have to agree with Russ Reilly. As long as the aircraft is properly equipped, the pilot is prepared and a realistic plan to accomplish the flight is in place, the number of engines is not material. A good autopilot is a significant advantage over a second engine.

I'm less enthusiastic at the idea of night, over water, single engine. Forced landings to the water are problematic in the day time-I'd hate to try it at night.

Offshore is different. The weather is different, less convective-except when it's more so. The "look" is different. It's hard to explain, but not having a positive visual altitude reference seems to make down an imprecise term- you could be inches or tens of feet up. Look down on your next flight, you'll see the surface whizzing by with a rate of closure difference fore and aft, and as it moves by laterally. That's not as definite a data source over water, at least not with the precision your mark-1 eyeballs are used to interpretting.
Lose your "down" and a horizon, you're IFR. Some days, it could be a thousand feet and it looks like inches until you sight something to reference by scale. If you don't have a well defined horizon, you'll find yourself hunting in pitch before you realise conditions aren't what the numbers present.

Shoot from the Hip Doc!!
 

Wait until you know the facts Doc.

What if wasn't an engine failure???? whats your view then Doc?

In all these accidents, not one has been caused by a mechanical Engine Failure.

Lets not get medical people telling aviation people whats required in our aircraft fit.

One, two or three engines arn't going to help if your tail falls off Doc, and sure you are now going to put a person with a broken leg [and yes a fractured leg with Haemodynamic deteriotion can indeed be life threatening], in a bumpy old boat.

Don't change the system, Improve the existing system!

And just how exactly do you assess the relative risk between using a modern helicopter (either S/E or M/E) operated by experienced crews, to other forms of transport. Boat / road ambulance etc? Surely they all come to grief at one time or another. Statistics don't tell the whole story.

High Nr
You're correct about the accidents (not commenting on this current one) not being caused by engine failures ... however in some way were't the capabilities of the particular A/C exceeded for the particular task being undertaken? If so this then comes back to a systemic problem and you're right ... we must "improve the system". From appropriate use (tasking) of all assets to providing the appropriate equipment for the job.

Heliport,

Any discussion on night vfr by single pilots should be welcomed, especially those over water.

Maybe then sanity will prevail if all the information is made known.

My personal records are a pretty good indication that standard operating procedures for such flights are in need of major reinforcing.

The defenition of night vfr used to be navigation under visual flight rules with reference to the ground or water. i can't find that defenition anywhere anymore.

Flying into black holes without adequate instruments is flying blind. No matter how good a pilot you may be.

I was once given the opportunity to participate in an FAA demo on vertigo or loss of spatial awareness at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. I died in about thirty seconds with minimum instruments once the work load was increased on me.

These pilots and crew who are no longer with us might still be here if the aircraft they were in were better instrumented and proper training of crew kept up to date. I'm not saying it wasn't in this recent case, nor do i intimate that the pilot was not the most professional.

The recent Central Queensland accident causes have yet to be determined but a long descending left turn into water (the radar track) has all the hallmarks of spatial disorientation.

We have a right to comment as the reputation of our industry is at risk, doctors and nurses are worried, next the patient might refuse to get in.

deeper

I agree entirely. Far from trying to stop discussion, I was trying to encourage it. The link I deleted, at High Nr's request, was to a discussion we had a few months ago:
Reasons not to fly a VFR only, Single-engined helicopter offshore at night.

It was an excellent discussion with many superb posts. Members who joined after June may not have seen it.
If anyone wants to read it, the link is here.

Deeper--Words CASA find to hard these days....
 

Those words that used to guide pilots in making the harder decisions have indeed been withdrawn from the CASA and Air Services Documents:

But for those of us that fly the B206 series, look on Page One of the Limitations Section of your Flight Manual, under Night Flight Limitations. And remember this is a limitation by the Manufacture.

High Nr

"and yes a fractured leg with Haemodynamic deteriotion [sic] can indeed be life threatening" - fine, but a stabilised tibia/fibula fracture in a good splint in an otherwise well young adult is *not* an emergency - I've personally been involved in taking folk out with fractured femurs from remote islands in "bumpy old boats" (yes in traction, yes with IV line in, yes with a nerve block in for the pain) because there was no other way. It's not a no-no.....

There are fractures and there are fractures (....many fractures can wait for a week or so and be still set/treated quite successfully (true!)) and I for one do not pretend to know what type the one in this case was.

But, the fact seems to be that the Hamilton Island pt was evac'd the next morning, and furthermore there was no use that night of other possibly available fixed wing acft from TVL, RK or BUD into a long strip with lights and a GPS and VOR/DME appch on a night that wasn't too crappy for IFR flight. To me that implies that they were were perhaps not dealing with a life/limb threatening event, as the other available agencies would have picked up and filled that tragic gap, as they have done in the past.

Whenever I had to assess a call for assistance in the dark hours, the one of the first questions was - can it wait until daylight? Aircrew are more alert, aeromedical crew are more alert, and the receiving hospital is more likely to have it's "A" team on...all has to be balanced against the pain being suffered and the likelihood of an adverse outcome if there is any delay. On top of this the possible medevac modalities have to be considered, along with their costs and risks, especially added risks of night travel, wheter by air, sea or land. It's not straightforward, there is scant statistical analysis of the relative risks available, but doctors/nurses (and others) who often have to go along on the serious flights have a right to say how their lives are risked or otherwise.

Again, in aeromedical work, sometimes things are done because they can be done, not because they should be done.....yes it's faster, yes it's more exciting, yes it's sexier, yes it has saved lives... and yes it can have grave risks and has a higher cost per life saved than virtually any other medical modality.

Safe flying :ok:

NOtimTAMs

PS And in case you think I'm arguing for twin engine, twin pilot ops for all circumstances-- I'm happy in my private flying time to fly single pilot, single engine IFR at night in an aircraft I know the maintenance history of - but that's my choice, knowing the risks - I wouldn't force that on anyone else.