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Air Amb. Crash in New Mexico Kills 5

2 comments

A SOUTHWEST MEDEVAC AIR AMBULANCE went down in the Ruidoso mountains immediately after takeoff late Sunday night.  It was intending to fly from the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport near Ruidoso to the University of New Mexico Hospital.  Onboard with the 15-month-old patient and her mother were the pilot, a flight nurse and a paramedic who had been on the job only one month.

The aircraft, one of 14 owned by Southwest Medevac, was a King Air E90 which is a popular model for air ambulance service.  Gary C. Robb, an aviation lawyer in Kansas City, Mo., said the King Air “is a good aircraft with an excellent safety record. It’s a very popular aircraft because it’s reliable in use as an air ambulance service.”  He further says that whenever a King Air goes down it’s because of an interaction with human factors and the weather.  Air ambulances tend to fly in unfavorable weather conditions because they have to go.

[photopress:kingaire90a.jpg,full,centered]
Southwest Medevac Beechcraft King Air Twin-Turboprop

The Houston Chronicle has the STORY.
Albuquerque Channel 4 has a VIDEO.
Southwest Medevac website HERE.

Posted by on August 7, 2007 • Filed under: ambulances
  • John T

    First of all that picture is not a King Air, or even a turbo prop. Secondly, Gary C. Robb said “Air ambulances tend to fly in unfavorable weather conditions because they have to go.” is not true either. Although we do fly in unfavorable weather, every pilot makes the call to go/no go. Its not any different than any other airline, we all have the same rules. We dont HAVE TO GO anywhere… If a company requires a pilot to “have to go” then its time for another job. People think that Air Ambulance companies have to rush as fast as you can to get the person to the hospital, and thats where the accidents happen. Slow down and think for a second….2 more min. may save YOUR life.

  • John T

    First of all that picture is not a King Air, or even a turbo prop. Secondly, Gary C. Robb said “Air ambulances tend to fly in unfavorable weather conditions because they have to go.” is not true either. Although we do fly in unfavorable weather, every pilot makes the call to go/no go. Its not any different than any other airline, we all have the same rules. We dont HAVE TO GO anywhere… If a company requires a pilot to “have to go” then its time for another job. People think that Air Ambulance companies have to rush as fast as you can to get the person to the hospital, and thats where the accidents happen. Slow down and think for a second….2 more min. may save YOUR life.