After lifting off from the scene with three crew members and two patients on board, the pilot contacted the tower at Andrews Air Force Base requesting assistance with an instrument landing due to weather. Two ambulances were dispatched to the airfield to meet the helicopter and complete the patient transports. The helicopter never arrived. According to National Transportation Safety Board member Debbie Hersman, between the time the helicopter left its hanger at Andrews Air Force Base and when it was back in the same area, heading to the hospital, visibility had dropped from about seven miles to four miles. In that same hour, the cloud cover, or ceiling, went from 1300 feet to as low as 200 feet in some spots. An intense search began and the helicopter was found crashed in a heavily wooded area at 2AM. Killed in the crash were Pilot Stephen Bunker, Trooper/Medic First Class Mickey Lippy, EMT-B Tonya Mallard of the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department and Ashley Younger, a 17-year-old who was the second victim from the Waldorf car accident.I will fix you.
My sister is a shock trauma center nurse, and knew the pilot. It's especially troubling (and infuriating) because it's looking like this could have been prevented. The MSP's fleet of choppers is not in the best of shape, and the one involved in this incident was missing some fairly important equipment.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, condolences and prayers are most certainly in order for the crew, the crash victim, and their families. Hopefully things will change a bit, and steps will be taken to keep this from happening in the future.
Worthy of our tears.
ReplyDeleteDamn. As someone who might sell a large interest in his soul to work as a medevac pilot, I hate seeing these stories. God bless them.
ReplyDeletetears. i can't stop.
ReplyDeletethat is one of the most poignant songs of EMT work I've ever heard. Thanks Nurse.
ReplyDeleteMallory