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False reports have aeromedical programs baffled
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Linda and Carlos Olmo honored the helicopter program and the aeromedical team by n a m i n g their baby C a r l a Medi Olmo - ~Medi" short for MedEvac. For the threemember crew of MedEvac, it was one of their most unusual - and satisfying - flights to date. - D.
Jarvis
A Re-review of Uterine Rupture In the "Trauma Notebook" d e p a r t m e n t of the January/February 1988 edition of the AeroMedical Journal, two lines of editorial copy (middle column, lines 2 and 3) were misplaced during production. From the bottom of the first column to the top of the second, it should have read, ~One unit of type-specific packed red blood cells was hung, as was five mcg/kg/min, of dopamine. Diagnoses at this time were 'shock with r e s p i r a t o r y a r r e s t secondary to pelvic sepsis,' and 'profound anemia.'" From the bottom of the second column to the top of the t h i r d , it should have read: '~A stillborn male fetus with placenta was found freefloating in the abdominal cavity. The intra-operative blood loss was estimated at two liters. Intraoperative fluids included four units packed red blood cells, four units fresh-frozen plasma, and five liters Ringer's lactate." We regret the error. @
False Reports Have Aeromedical Programs Baffled The aeromedical industry suffered its greatest blow in 1986 with 11civilian EMS helicopter accidents claiming the lives of 16 pilots, nurses, paramedics and patients and t h r e a t e n i n g 18 others. The y e a r 1987 began with a continuation of this t e r r i b l e accident rate. According to the National EMS Pilots Association, mid-year was met with six additional accidents and 12 deaths. Continued media attention and public scrutiny generated safety activity in v i r t u a l l y every segment of the aeromedical indust r y to reduce the number of crashes. The increased emphasis on safety during the early p a r t of the year was reflected during the second
8
MARCH/APRIL 1988
AMJ
halfof1987. No major accidents, injuries or fatalities were reported since June, establishing new safety records for the industry. Or so it seemed. In early December 1987, six separate aeromedical helicopter crashes were reported in Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylv a n i a and West Virginia over a twoweek period. In each case, hundreds of police, fire and rescue workers searched for aircraft reported down in their areas with no discoveries. Federal investigators and state police have t r i e d to identify those who have been calling in extremely detailed, but false, reports of crashes of medical evacuation helicopters. The federal investigation into the false reports is being handled by the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Civil Aviation Security. Andrew Schneider of the Pittsburgh Press interviewed FAA spokesman Dick Stafford, who said: "This is an extremely serious federal crime in terms of interfering with the entire air-safety system. Those involved, if convicted, can receive up to 99 years in jail." Schneider told A M J t h a t although most of the callers were male and one was female, the incidents are linked. On tape recordings of each incident t h a t Schneider has reviewed, the voice and aviation jargon of the male subject sound very similar. Authorities speculate t h a t the same person(s) is m a k i n g the false reports and doubt there are copycat hoaxes. According to Sgt. Don Cook, a former medevac pilot with the West Virginia State Police, '~Whoever is doing this is spending a lot of time laying out the groundwork and setting up the background so it seems real. Ifhe's not a pilot or a flight medic, he sure knows a lot about their operations." Did it end in 1987? Andrew Schneider informed A M J t h a t three additional reports were made in early J a n u a r y 1988 - two in Dallas (Texas) and one in Jackson (Miss.). A New Hampshire man was later a r r e s t e d for m a k i n g false reports of two non-aeromedical crashes. Meanwhile, closer observation by the FAA and the National Traffic Safety Board will ensure the cont i n u a t i o n of safety improvements in the industry. -D. Jarvis
AMJ
MARCH/APRIL 1988
9
Jarvis
A Re-review of Uterine Rupture In the "Trauma Notebook" d e p a r t m e n t of the January/February 1988 edition of the AeroMedical Journal, two lines of editorial copy (middle column, lines 2 and 3) were misplaced during production. From the bottom of the first column to the top of the second, it should have read, ~One unit of type-specific packed red blood cells was hung, as was five mcg/kg/min, of dopamine. Diagnoses at this time were 'shock with r e s p i r a t o r y a r r e s t secondary to pelvic sepsis,' and 'profound anemia.'" From the bottom of the second column to the top of the t h i r d , it should have read: '~A stillborn male fetus with placenta was found freefloating in the abdominal cavity. The intra-operative blood loss was estimated at two liters. Intraoperative fluids included four units packed red blood cells, four units fresh-frozen plasma, and five liters Ringer's lactate." We regret the error. @
False Reports Have Aeromedical Programs Baffled The aeromedical industry suffered its greatest blow in 1986 with 11civilian EMS helicopter accidents claiming the lives of 16 pilots, nurses, paramedics and patients and t h r e a t e n i n g 18 others. The y e a r 1987 began with a continuation of this t e r r i b l e accident rate. According to the National EMS Pilots Association, mid-year was met with six additional accidents and 12 deaths. Continued media attention and public scrutiny generated safety activity in v i r t u a l l y every segment of the aeromedical indust r y to reduce the number of crashes. The increased emphasis on safety during the early p a r t of the year was reflected during the second
8
MARCH/APRIL 1988
AMJ
halfof1987. No major accidents, injuries or fatalities were reported since June, establishing new safety records for the industry. Or so it seemed. In early December 1987, six separate aeromedical helicopter crashes were reported in Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylv a n i a and West Virginia over a twoweek period. In each case, hundreds of police, fire and rescue workers searched for aircraft reported down in their areas with no discoveries. Federal investigators and state police have t r i e d to identify those who have been calling in extremely detailed, but false, reports of crashes of medical evacuation helicopters. The federal investigation into the false reports is being handled by the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Civil Aviation Security. Andrew Schneider of the Pittsburgh Press interviewed FAA spokesman Dick Stafford, who said: "This is an extremely serious federal crime in terms of interfering with the entire air-safety system. Those involved, if convicted, can receive up to 99 years in jail." Schneider told A M J t h a t although most of the callers were male and one was female, the incidents are linked. On tape recordings of each incident t h a t Schneider has reviewed, the voice and aviation jargon of the male subject sound very similar. Authorities speculate t h a t the same person(s) is m a k i n g the false reports and doubt there are copycat hoaxes. According to Sgt. Don Cook, a former medevac pilot with the West Virginia State Police, '~Whoever is doing this is spending a lot of time laying out the groundwork and setting up the background so it seems real. Ifhe's not a pilot or a flight medic, he sure knows a lot about their operations." Did it end in 1987? Andrew Schneider informed A M J t h a t three additional reports were made in early J a n u a r y 1988 - two in Dallas (Texas) and one in Jackson (Miss.). A New Hampshire man was later a r r e s t e d for m a k i n g false reports of two non-aeromedical crashes. Meanwhile, closer observation by the FAA and the National Traffic Safety Board will ensure the cont i n u a t i o n of safety improvements in the industry. -D. Jarvis
AMJ
MARCH/APRIL 1988
9