Carilion Clinic Life-Guard - Non-injury incident

Date: October 24, 2008 00:45 AM 

Program: Carilion Clinic Life-Guard
	431 McClanahan
	Roanoke VA 24012

Type: EC 135
Tail #: N135ED
Operator/Vendor: Air Methods

Team: Pilot, Flight Nurse, Flight Medic. No injuries reported. Patient on board. 

Description: 
	The Life-Guard 11 helicopter based out of Carilion New River Valley
	Medical Center in Christiansburg, VA was dispatched to Twin County
	Community Hospital in Galax, Virginia to transport a patient to
	Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. At the time of the
	request at 0045, WSI and HEMS tool weather reports revealed acceptable
	weather minimums between the two facilities. The flight was accepted.
	The first leg of the flight was uneventful. The patient was assessed
	and prepared for transport and loaded into the aircraft. At the time
	of lift-off, the pilot advised the Carilion Clinic Patient
	Transportation (CCPT) Communications Center that unforecasted weather
	was noted and that the ceilings were dropping. Approximately 1 minute
	prior, the Life-Guard 10 helicopter aborted a flight while in the
	Roanoke, VA area d/t lowering ceilings. Approximately 2 minutes after
	lift-off, the pilot of Life-Guard 11 made the decision to abort the
	flight. The patient was returned to original sending facility without
	incident and ground transportation arrangements were made. The
	Life-Guard 11 helicopter returned to its base without further
	incident.  
	

Additional Info: 
	Upon returning the patient to the original sending facility, the
	flight crew was advised by the hospital staff that another air medical
	program had previously turned the flight down for weather. Neither the
	CCPT Comm Center nor the Life-Guard flight crew had been advised of
	this weather turn down prior to requesting Carilion Clinic Life-Guard
	to transport the patient. The other medical helicopter is VFR only,
	with NVG capabilities. Although the Life-Guard 11 helicopter is IFR
	capable, this pilot has not yet been certified as IFR. The Life-Guard
	11 helicopter is NVG capable.  
	 
	A debriefing with the medical crew and administration, along with Air
	Methods pilot representatives has since been completed. A discussion
	also took place with the other air medical program and it was agreed
	that, effective immediately, all weather turn downs shall be logged
	into www.weatherturndown.com. CCPT Administration is in the process of
	following up with the sending facility in regards to Helicopter
	Shopping. 
	 
	

Source: Susan Smith, Program Director, Carilion Clinic Life-Guard

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information with your program staff. If you have further questions, please
contact the CONCERN Coordinator, David Kearns at 800 525 3712 or email:
coordinator@concern-network.org.

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