MVA at 2-4 split

B

Bronwyn

Guest
RPMDAD said:
Just curious where was the LZ, very familiar with that intersection and can't figure out a close LZ to it. Sorry the accident happened at all but thank God it happened while the weather was still good, weather is suppose to turn to poo poo later and might ground both birds.
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The LZ was several miles north of the accident. The pts were transported to the LZ via ambulance. That's all I know. It was poorly lit with 2 trees crowding it. They were guided in by a firetruck sitting in the LZ area.
 
workaholic

workaholic

Save the Tatas!!!
G1G4 said:
Small road. I know Eagle 1 is a small helo, but Trooper 7 requires a 100x100 foot (we just do 100 paces in a square) area to land, with no interference. If I'm not mistaken, the road isn't too wide and there are grass/hilly medians. They probably landed them in a parking lot somewhere.

I also wouldn't say we need better pilots. The pilots that fly Trooper 7 are top notch. It's dark out, the LZ could be poorly lit and the reflection from the lights of the traffic could've been blinding them.
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sunderland, md - Google Maps

It's really hard to tell what they were up against. But looking at the map shows a couple of fields on Lower Marlboro Rd. and just north of the 2-4 split.
 
G1G4

G1G4

Find em Hot, Leave em Wet
Could still be a couple of contributiing factors as to why they didn't land at the accident scene. Debris lying in the roadway that could be kicked up by the rotors, preserving the scene for the accident reconstruction team, a fairly large area where appratus are operating, etc etc.
The fields have to be accessible by the ground crew without any major hazards. I'm sure most, if not all fields, have water in them from the recent rains. The ground is probably still soft, which could make the landing gear for the helicopter get stuck or the ground too soft for the crew. I can understand why they opted to go for the hard surface.
I'm not sure what the deal was, so I can't comment without knowing the specifics, but those are scenarios that can, and have been, played out before.
 
workaholic

workaholic

Save the Tatas!!!
bobbyr1229 said:
Completely agree I actually heard them say the lz was only 100x20 or 50 and trooper 7 has top notch pilots = but I do think they could have posted a better lz
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Yeah some of those pilots are definitely top notch. They can do a lot more than their rules and regs allow them to. MSP's mission is to protect they community. So they have pretty strenuous regulations. It's not that the pilots can't do it or won't do it physically. They are not allowed to do it.

One of the things that really looks bad is if Trooper 7 or the like is grounded because of weather but the news stations have their helicopters in the air. It has happened before.
 
D

dgates80

Land of the lost
I can easily believe that finding LZ's can be hard, big time, especially at night. It's one thing to fly an instrument approach to a facility (airport) that is well lit, extremely well documented, and often has electronic navigational aids available. Now, do that at night, in bad weather, to a LZ that you have never seen before other than on a map, that does not have any sort of documented instrument approach, with the possibility of unknown obsticles / wires, trees, towers, and without purpose-designed lighting -- and oh, by the way, knowing that it is often a literally life or death mission -- so you are motivated to accomplish the mission....

The Trooper 7 pilots *really* like using the CRE airport for these reasons -- they know where it is *exactly*, know there are not any wires or other obstructions, it's lit at night, has lit wind direction visual aids (windsock), has decent access for the ground crews / EMS. Beats the heck out of a ball field or a parking lot! Overall a very much more safe aircraft operation to fly into / out of an airport.

The MSP pilots are some of the best in the business, bar none, I know a number of them personally. Talking to them they have relitively recently modified their LZ and weather minimums, in part due to the specific mishap in bad weather near Andrews about 18 months ago. Also, the NTSB and FAA have been looking *hard* at HEMS operations due to a nationwide trend of increased mishaps in the last few years, and has made a number of specific recommendations regarding landing sites, weather minimums, training, and maintainence. Better pilots than the MSP guys? There aren't any. Anywhere, for any wages. They do good stuff, daily.
 
G1G4

G1G4

Find em Hot, Leave em Wet
On Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. units from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office responded to the intersection of Md. Route 4 southbound at Sheckells Road in Huntingtown for the report of a serious motor vehicle crash.

Responding units quickly determined reconstructionists were needed. Members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team responded and conducted a preliminary investigation.

It was determined that a 2005 GMC Yukon had been traveling south in the slow lane of Md. Route 4 when a 2008 Toyota Prius failed to yield the right of way to the GMC. The Toyota was exiting Sheckells Road attempting to cross the southbound lanes to go north onto Md. Route 4. The GMC struck the Toyota in the driver’s side of the vehicle and both vehicles continued south on Md. Route 4 for a short distance. The vehicles came to rest side by side along the guardrail separating the north and southbound lanes of Md. Route 4.

The driver of the Toyota, Warren Taylor Beard, Jr., 51 of Huntingtown, was flown to P.G. Hospital by Trooper 7 where he succumbed to his injuries. The 14-year-old male passenger in the Toyota, also of Huntingtown, was taken to Children’s Hospital where he is listed in serious but stable condition. The driver of the GMC, David Matthew Law, 25 of Huntingtown, was treated on the scene and released.

This crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact DFC Christopher Childress of the Crash Reconstruction Team at (410) 535-2800.

Huntingtown Man Killed, Teen Injured in Calvert Fatal - Southern Maryland News, Charles County, Calvert County and St. Mary's County News

How unfortunate
 
C

CalvertNewbie

Guest
Thoughts and prayers to all those involved, as well as their loved ones. What a horrible outcome. :bawl:
 
G1G4

G1G4

Find em Hot, Leave em Wet
You gotta remember, the MSP Aviation division isn't really a private sector. They don't charge their patients for the flights they do, the majority of their income comes from the fire tax that they split with fire/ems departments. Of course they can't afford to go out and upgrade all of their helo's with the latest and greatest technology. I wish the MSP pilots had the absolute best avaliable, but the simple and sheer fact is that they don't.
It took the MSP Trooper 2 crash for the FAA to get involved and the NTSB to open up the government's eyes. They're finally starting to replace the fleet, and this is a few years after they did the rear rotor upgrades.
With all that said, if I had to be medevaced out, I would want no one other than a Trooper taking me airborne. Best pilots, some of the best preambulatory hospital medics in the nation, and the equipment to get me where I need to go without fail.
 
bobbyr1229

bobbyr1229

Same Old Same Old
G1G4 said:
You gotta remember, the MSP Aviation division isn't really a private sector. They don't charge their patients for the flights they do, the majority of their income comes from the fire tax that they split with fire/ems departments. Of course they can't afford to go out and upgrade all of their helo's with the latest and greatest technology. I wish the MSP pilots had the absolute best avaliable, but the simple and sheer fact is that they don't.
It took the MSP Trooper 2 crash for the FAA to get involved and the NTSB to open up the government's eyes. They're finally starting to replace the fleet, and this is a few years after they did the rear rotor upgrades.
With all that said, if I had to be medevaced out, I would want no one other than a Trooper taking me airborne. Best pilots, some of the best preambulatory hospital medics in the nation, and the equipment to get me where I need to go without fail.
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Agreed :buddies:
 
G1G4

G1G4

Find em Hot, Leave em Wet
The frames on those little cars don't stand a chance. To have a two foot intrusion into a passenger compartment is unacceptable. Airbags ain't gonna save you then.
 
RPMDAD

RPMDAD

Well-Known Member
G1G4 said:
You gotta remember, the MSP Aviation division isn't really a private sector. They don't charge their patients for the flights they do, the majority of their income comes from the fire tax that they split with fire/ems departments. Of course they can't afford to go out and upgrade all of their helo's with the latest and greatest technology. I wish the MSP pilots had the absolute best avaliable, but the simple and sheer fact is that they don't.
It took the MSP Trooper 2 crash for the FAA to get involved and the NTSB to open up the government's eyes. They're finally starting to replace the fleet, and this is a few years after they did the rear rotor upgrades.
With all that said, if I had to be medevaced out, I would want no one other than a Trooper taking me airborne. Best pilots, some of the best preambulatory hospital medics in the nation, and the equipment to get me where I need to go without fail.
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:yeahthat:

Agreed here too they flew me out for a construction accident, years ago at night. And i am still here to thank them and the PFVFD EMS....
 
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