Alarm Over Air Ambulance Crashes

(AP)  Pilot errors, industry carelessness and poor government oversight have combined to drive the number of air ambulance crashes to record levels, USA Today reported.

Sixty people have died in 84 crashes since 2000 — more than double the number of crashes during the previous five years, the newspaper said in Monday editions.

Its study found that more than 10 percent of the U.S. air ambulance helicopter fleet crashed during that time, a proportion that would have translated to 90 jetliner crashes if applied to commercial airlines.

About two-thirds of the fatal crashes occurred in poor visibility.

After reviewing hundreds of pages of documents and interviewing dozens of pilots, aviation experts, federal officials and executives with the companies that operate the flights, USA Today concluded that air ambulance companies and the Federal Aviation Administration have failed to imposed safety requirements that might have saved lives.

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