The National Transportation Safety Board has recognized where safety improvements need to be made in the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) industry, and has placed four areas for improvement on its "Most Wanted" list. These are:
- Conduct all flights with medical personnel on board in accordance with stricter commuter aircraft regulations.
- Develop and implement flight risk evaluation programs for EMS operators.
- Require formalized dispatch and flight-following procedures including up-to-date weather information.
- Install terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) on aircraft used for EMS operations.
Many HEMS operators have already taken voluntary steps to implement some or all of these recommendations, but further steps are needed to advance the cause of safety in HEMS. A significant number of HEMS accidents could be prevented with these and other modest improvements.
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