This report discusses the January 29, 2019, accident involving a Bell 407 helicopter, N191SF, being operated as a helicopter air ambulance (HAA) flight, which collided with forested terrain about 4 miles northeast of Zaleski, Ohio. The certificated commercial pilot, flight nurse, and flight paramedic died, and the helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Viking Aviation, LLC, doing business as Survival Flight Inc., under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Safety issues identified in this report include Survival Flight’s lack of comprehensive and effective flight risk assessment and risk management procedures, the lack of a positive safety culture endorsed by Survival Flight management and the lack of a comprehensive safety management system, the need for flight data monitoring programs for HAA operators, the lack of HAA experience for principal operations inspectors assigned to HAA operations, the lack of accurate terminal doppler weather radar data available on the HEMS (helicopter emergency medical services) Weather Tool, and the lack of a flight recorder. As a result of this investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board makes five new safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration, three new safety recommendations to the National Weather Service, and six new recommendations to Survival Flight.
Helicopter Air Ambulance Collision with Terrain Survival Flight Inc. Bell 407 Helicopter, N191SF near Zaleski, Ohio January 29, 2019. Accident Report
2020
89 pages
Report
No indication
English
NTIS | 1969
|Helicopter Ambulance Service to Emergencies
NTIS | 1971
Air Ambulance Helicopter Operational Analysis
NTIS | 1991
|Online Contents | 1995
Online Contents | 1996