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Winter Storm Hits Maryland, Part 3
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Maryland Helicopters Resume Flights
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Maryland's emergency medical chopper system is gradually resuming flights, for the first time since the program's deadliest accident.
The chopper known as Trooper II crashed in Prince George's County this weekend, killing four people.
Mike Hellgren reports investigators have removed most of the wreckage of a medical helicopter that crashed in the woods near Andrews Air Force Base.
For the first time since that crash, Maryland has had one medical chopper operating. The ten other choppers will gradually follow extensive testing of their instrumentation, before they go up.
The NTSB is still looking into the cause of the crash.
A nearby volunteer fire chief was one of the first on the scene. The victims were located using cell phone signals.
"It actually made me sick to my stomach, because I had checked the park earlier," said Deputy Chief Jamie Hayden, Ritchie Volunteer Fire Company. "Once I found out how deep in the woods it was, I realized I would have never seen it or heard it."
The NTSB is looking at factors including the foggy weather, interviewing witnesses, investigating the condition of the chopper, and the pilot's records. The weather had deteriorated rapidly, forcing the pilot to re-route to Andrews from his original destination.
The pilot had picked up two people injured in a car accident and asked to divert to Andrews because conditions were getting bad, very fast.
"We think if it's not safe, you shouldn't go, and we want operators to make sure they're doing an objective risk assessment not to go if conditions are not good," said Debbie Hersman, NTSB board member spokesperson.
Seconds before the crash, he radioed air traffic control saying a device in the chopper used to help him land, but a glide slope was not working properly.
The pilot also asked for a surveillance radar approach to land. That's where the controller basically provides turn-by-turn navigation, using radar, until the pilot can see the landing lights and get down safely.
According to a published report and Eyewitness News there was no one available in air traffic control at that moment, who was certified to handle that type of landing.
Eyewitness News asked the governor if the crash changed his support of state-police-run medical helicopters.
"We want to always maintain the best medevac and Shock Trauma system in the world," said Governor Martin O'Malley. "Whatever lessons we can learn from this, we will learn them, and we will apply them."
Black flags hang from the Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company. The paramedic on that flight, Trooper First Class Mickey Lippy was a member, along with his wife.
"Everyone in this business knows this could happen at any time. It's a dangerous business. When it hits so close to home, it's shocking," said Captain Kevin Wallett, Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company.
Investigators are still looking for a cause into the crash.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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