71. The author of this editorial concludes that the guidelines for training pilots and 4 o9 Q4 ]0 X' i( T: L6 Y7 f
maintaining equipment in the medical-helicopter industry are ineffective, even though 6 M) j/ ?6 {* h$ H4 P
they are far more stringent than those in other airline industries. To support this n! X( d7 ]0 s2 l6 W
conclusion, the author cites statistics showing that the rate of medical-helicopter
) |( t u/ Q: o& q; a& w0 Yaccidents is much higher than the rate of accidents for non-medical helicopters or
0 |9 d) q6 x( _; }% e7 Ocommercial airliners. This argument is problematic in three critical respects.0 _" \6 [$ M `8 Z
The first problem with the argument is that it rests on the unstated assumption that 7 r! A# E; c3 \& ` U5 V# f: Z
accidents involving medical helicopters have been due to inadequate pilot training or
3 t s2 Z( R( C% Q5 r- U# h4 [equipment maintenance. However, the author fails to acknowledge and rule out other
( c& k9 b& O' l$ J/ V% epossible causes of such accidents. In fact, common sense tells us that medical-helicopter 5 Z: L4 B1 X* k1 R4 W
accidents are most likely to result from the exigent circumstances and dangerous flying
* _1 h; Y. _! ^# W2 M- _and landing conditions which typify medical emergencies where helicopters are 6 W7 ~4 X' J/ S# A! h8 `, m% H1 o7 ~
required to gain access to victims.
" ~; @& M' N7 q! k) e' l( `3 E# g A second, and related, problem is that the author unfairly compares the accident
4 P. w% {5 }# o$ u9 B0 e4 ?- erate of medical helicopters with the accident rate for non-emergency aircraft. Medical % J! U5 ~5 N, t0 B, D: U8 x, U
helicopters are almost invariably deployed during emergencies to dangerous flying 4 |% x# W. g5 J2 w! l
locales, whereas other types of aircraft are not. Consequently. medical-helicopter ; z X& }: O3 P' C e
accidents will in all likelihood occur far more frequently than other aircraft accidents, / I6 H- x2 k$ \4 r) Q' x" ?
regardless of pilot training or equipment maintenance.
. f/ o2 R8 ~4 G6 E- q$ o: h A third problem with the argument is that the statistical evidence upon which it
3 Q- G- g4 [. ~( ^) nrelies is too vague to be informative. The statistics concerning aircraft accidents may + r& j9 E: G! l4 H* H7 N6 B
have been based on all types of accidents, whether minor or major. The statistics would 0 I1 Y0 X7 N4 T0 S0 ]
be more meaningful if we knew that the accidents to which they refer were all of 3 P, R4 |9 g+ E9 _
comparable severity. For all we know, the rate of casualty-causing accidents for medical + T# n/ B. [2 I1 y1 {/ y# @1 n+ I, w
helicopters is actually lower than for other aircraft. Additionally, we are not told the * ?+ k& d# D0 f B* p6 j6 X" `, w
time period of the survey. An old survey or one that covered only a brief time period
+ |- e0 x7 E# D* {" e% q+ J r4 bwould be poor evidence in support of the author's claim.
& S" ~/ j6 B$ L0 C- y- G In conclusion, the author's evidence does little to support the conclusion. To be
$ G- _% O5 t/ c7 P5 L/ n1 Gpersuasive, the author must at the very least acknowledge and rule out other possible
) P* z/ L$ w& k$ j+ j Hcauses of accidents that are unique to the medical-helicopter industry, in any event, a / Q0 V D) s' j8 A, L. J, P* N
more effective argument would be based on a statistical comparison of accident rates ) S; O; k' {) a3 A
under differing sets of training and maintenance guidelines within :he medical-
# n: X) M: s1 z2 h9 ihelicopter industry, not among different aircraft industries. |