Wiltshire Air Ambulance helicopter back in the skies
UK HEMS charity Wiltshire Air Ambulance has announced that its Bell 429 helicopter will be able to continue operations.
UK HEMS charity Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) has announced that its Bell 429 helicopter will be able to continue operations.
The vehicle has been out of action since 15 June after it suffered an event of uncommanded tail rotor input while the pilot was carrying out prescribed daily engine checks on the charity’s helipad at its airbase at Semington, near Melksham. No one was injured and none of the equipment damaged.
Since the event the helicopter has remained grounded and under investigation. The charity spoke to the helicopter’s manufacturer as well as relevant authorities. Two components were replaced in the helicopter as a precautionary measure. The aircraft manufacturer presented a preliminary report on 19 July and all the information that had been requested by the charity and the aircraft operator to release the helicopter to service and resume operations.
Wiltshire Air Ambulance was able to respond to call-outs during this period using rapid response cars, including one lent to them by the charity West Berkshire Rapid Response Cars. The cars have the same specialist medical equipment — funded by donations — that is onboard the helicopter. The charity was able to respond to 95 incidents while the helicopter was out of service.
“We are pleased that our helicopter has been released for operational flying,” said David Philpott, Chief Executive of Wiltshire Air Ambulance. “The safety of our operation is of paramount and overriding importance to the charity. Associated with the wide and diverse range of its stakeholders, the charity has the clear and defined duty of care to ensure that the helicopter is released to service and operations are resumed only when all and any safety concerns are addressed and satisfied, in compliance with applicable regulation. This may require time but it is an unavoidable component of the process.”