Air Corps air ambulance

[DeV]

Nope, it was the Aer Corps that hadn't checked the site before hand. In times passed the visited the sites to check the viability of operations. Hospitals are not covered by NOTAMs but are required to be licensed , the hospital in question chose not to renew its licence some years back.

. Some one in Aer Corps did not check whether the locations are viable or not, two in the one week, the HSE are not qualified to dictate what can be used as a heli pad and they only way they will know is if either the IAA or the AC take a look at it first.

Funnily enough the HSE does not have an air ops wing........wonder why that is?

Ambulance control would have routed the AC to the location based on the assumption that the AC were ok to land there.

Had the AC even enquired it would have been highlighted that the previous allocated area had been redeveloped about 7 or 8 years ago!

Ryanair won't put a 737 into Kerry without Checking (a) there is in fact an airport there (b) it can get in and out with the aircrafts limits...why sould the AC be any different.

Ambulance control know ambulances can't fly so they won't even try it, but helicopters must land....so you might as well find out where they can land.

AC fcuk up...not HSE..........

How is the HSE assuming something the ACs fault?

[Meatbomb]

How is the HSE assuming something the ACs fault?

Well come on DeV, if you hire a removals truck to move the contents of your house and it gets lost or gets stuck in a bridge it's not your fault is it? From the info the AC have given the ambulance control centres, they can only land at pre recced LZ's. How can you say that was pre recced?

[almaza]

Air Corps Complete Third Air Ambulance This Week

The Air Corps completed their third air ambulance this week with the successful transfer of two patients today.

The first air ambulance mission today was an international transfer of a patient from Denmark to Dublin. The Air Corps Learjet was tasked with the mission and brought a specialist HSE medical team to Kastrup airport, Copenhagen, to meet with the patient. It arrived back at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, where it met with an ambulance, successfully completing the mission.

Today’s second air ambulance was a national transfer of a patient from Donegal to Dublin in an Air Corps helicopter. The Agusta Westland 139 collected the patient at the helicopter pad in Letterkenny General Hospital and brought them to Cathal Brugha Army Barracks in Dublin, where an ambulance was waiting to bring the patient to a nearby hospital.


The third air ambulance was the successful transfer of a patient to RAF Northolt, London, in the Air Corps Gulfstream, which was completed over the Bank Holiday weekend and brings the total air ambulances completed by the Air Corps in 2012 to 64.

From Air Corps Facebook page.

[Tadpole]

Before this operation even commenced, not a couple of months into it, the AC should have surveyed all the hospitals in their AO and declared to the HSE what hospitals they can or cannot operate to. They are after all the experts in what their aircraft require, not the HSE.

However, it's obvious that firstly, the Air Corps never undertook such surveys and secondly never made such declarations to the HSE. Add to that the crew assumed responsibility for the patients care and then flew to a hospital that they couldn't land at because even they didn't know where they could and couldn't land!!

I suppose these are some of the 'details' PH talks about being sorted out as an operation progresses!

[hptmurphy]

How is the HSE assuming something the ACs fault?

Not entirely sure about military aviation but I do know from experience with civil aviation that the responsibilty lies with the pilot to know that the destination is available and that there are alternatives should the destination be unavailable.

Now within commercial aviation that remit lies with the Ops department as it an organisation based operation as opposed to sole user.

Now in the case of Kilkenny the request to operate would have come through my office....it didn't and fortunately as a former AFISO ( Airfield information flight officer ) ..I know what the criteria around operation is...having filed enough flight plans to wall paper the empire state building!!!!

refer back to post 574...what the AC should have done

AC dropped the ball big time!

They assumed there was a facility available even though the Coast Guard had made enquiries and were informed that they were not!

Doh!

[Meatbomb]

Just came across this, some of it has been linked here already I think:

http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-20.286.0&s=Air+corps#g287.5

[morpheus]

Any update on the state of the 135 and whether it will return to service or is now effectively a write off?

[Meatbomb]

When are the AC planning on operating their Aero Medical Service during the hours of darkness? Also what are its hours of operation? As far as I know it goes off call around 19:00 if so there is still some daylight left. Why ain't the AMS operated right up to end of VFR? There must be enough crews so that can't be the reason.

Any update on the state of the 135 and whether it will return to service or is now effectively a write off?

I heard a figure of 4 million but I honestly can't verify that.
I see the AAIU haven't published an interm report yet, wonder when that's out...

[Tadpole]

I heard a figure of 4 million but I honestly can't verify that

If that is correct its about the price of a new aircraft.

[almaza]

If that is correct its about the price of a new aircraft.

A new EC135 costs over €6m.

[Goldie fish]

I heard a figure of 4 million but I honestly can't verify that.
I see the AAIU haven't published an interm report yet, wonder when that's out...

Doesn't the interim report only come out 12 months after the incident when the final report is not yet complete?

[Meatbomb]

When are the AC planning on operating their Aero Medical Service during the hours of darkness? Also what are its hours of operation? As far as I know it goes off call around 19:00 if so there is still some daylight left. Why ain't the AMS operated right up to end of VFR? There must be enough crews so that can't be the reason.

Doesn't the interim report only come out 12 months after the incident when the final report is not yet complete?

They publish an interm report in the event that the final report ain't complete in 12 months. They normally publish a statement like report of the factual information known immediately after an accident and name who is investigating, as seen in the PC 9 accident.

[Tadpole]

Interim reports are normally within approx. 1 month of the incident.

[almaza]

Irish 258’ getting ready for an Air Ambulance earlier today in Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

The Air Corps learjet transported a patient from Casement Aerodrome to Newcastle this afternoon, where the patient was transferred into the care of the UK NHS.



From Air Corps Facebook page yesterday.

[almaza]

Irish Air Corps Complete 70th Air Ambulance Overnight

The Irish Air Corps successfully completed their 70th air ambulance yesterday when they completed two air ambulances in 24 hours.

The first air ambulance involved the Agusta Westland 139 helicopter which departed Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, with a HSE team at 11.40am and routed to the Castlebar Hospital where they met with the patient.

The helicopter then departed Castlebar General Hospital at 3.30pm and flew Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, where the patient was transferred to a nearby hospital and the helicopter returned for Baldonnel, arriving at 4.20pm.

The second air ambulance involved the Air Corps Gulfstream jet which departed with a specialist team at 8.30pm and concluded when they arrived in Casement Aerodrome at 3.00am this morning.



From Air Corps Facebook page.