Mike Slack in the LA Times: The Catalina Island Air Ambulance Crash
Aviation attorney Mike Slack was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times following the crash of a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter off Santa Catalina Island on Wednesday night. The Eurocopter EC 135 P2 went down in the Pacific shortly after departing Pebbly Beach for the mainland. Two people were killed, two were rescued in stable condition, and the patient being transported
remains missing.
Slack told the Times the missing patient most likely went down with the helicopter, because patients are secured to their gurney during transport. He described that as a “real danger” on medical flights over water.
He also noted that with five people aboard and a full fuel load, a medical transport helicopter can approach its maximum weight, and that the NTSB should be able to recover the aircraft and extract flight and cockpit data despite the depth.
What happens next
The NTSB has investigators on scene. An air ambulance investigation typically examines weight and balance at departure, maintenance records, crew duty time, the operator’s overwater procedures, and the data recovered from the aircraft. A preliminary report is usually issued within a few weeks. The final report takes considerably longer.
Slack Davis has represented families in air ambulance and helicopter accident cases for more than three decades. Mike Slack is board certified in aviation law, a licensed pilot, and a former NASA aerospace engineer. Families with questions about a medical transport accident can reach the firm directly.
Slack Davis will continue to monitor updates as the investigation progresses.