Group A "Designated Party" Throughout Hearings, May Question Others

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) started a 4-day public hearing Tuesday on the Safety of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operations, part of the Board's ongoing efforts to evaluate the factors that contribute to accidents in EMS accidents. The hearings, which wrap up Friday, are open to public observation, though the public may not participate.

The NTSB will hear from numerous witnesses who will deal with all elements of HEMS operations. The format of the hearing will involve the questioning of several panels. Matt Zuccaro, president of the Helicopter Association International (HAI) and also Co-Chair of the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), is one of three keynote witnesses who open the hearing with individual presentations.

HAI tells Aero-News that Zuccaro will provide an overview of current and future industry safety initiatives, as well as a list of issues and action items for consideration by the NTSB. Well-versed in helicopter EMS operations, Zuccaro was instrumental in the recent rewrite of the HEMS A021/A050 Op Specs by facilitating a consensus among HEMS industry leaders and regulators.

Accompanied by other HAI staff, Zuccaro will also participate in the full four days of the hearing as a "designated party." As such, HAI will be participating in the questioning of the various witness panels scheduled to appear at the hearing. The witnesses and designated parties will represent a wide range of EMS-related communities, including Associations such as HAI, pilots, medical personnel, HEMS operators, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials who provide oversight.

In his presentation, Zuccaro will address such HEMS issues and recommendations as mandatory use of night vision goggles, an all IFR operating environment, elimination of launch/response times, study of fatigue factors in HEMS, promotion of risk aversion not risk exposure, client education programs, appropriate application of technology, non-punitive safety reporting environments, and implementation of Safety Management Systems.

HAI says the need to aggressively focus on human factors issues will be highlighted, to include a recommendation that HEMS risk assessment and decision making should be the same as other mission protocols. Also to be discussed, the need to provide a sterile operating environment for pilots and technicians, absent of undo pressures, so that any considerations are limited to safe aeronautical decision making.

The hearing is underway in the Board Room and Conference Center, at 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594. The NTSB Conference Center is the primary location for the National Transportation Safety Board's Board meetings, public hearings, training, public forums, symposiums, and other events. The hearings are being streamed on the NTSB web site, at the first FMI link below.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.rotor.com