The Maryland State Police grounded its fleet of medical evacuation helicopters yesterday as investigators tried to determine the cause of a late-night crash in Prince George's County that killed four people, the deadliest accident since the force started flying medevac missions 38 years ago.
The aircraft's pilot, who died along with a crew member, a civilian medic and a patient, asked to change his landing site in radio communications shortly before the crash, and witnesses described the area as "very foggy," investigators said. But authorities ordered the state's remaining 11 helicopters - all identical to the one that crashed - to remain on the ground until mechanical failure is ruled out.
The crash happened at a time when Maryland's medevac system is under intense scrutiny by state lawmakers, who are considering a $120 million request to replace the fleet after a legislative audit last month that found a third of the aircraft were out of service for 51 days during the last fiscal year. While noting an "impeccable safety record," the audit also found that police were lax in complying with repair orders, tracking maintenance and costs, and keeping up-to-date repair manuals. The audit also found that nearly half the patients flown by helicopter are discharged within 24 hours, causing some to wonder whether the medevac system is overused.
