Regulations and Government
NTSB seeks to reduce risks of EMS helicopter operations
Responding to a sharp increase in fatal helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operations in 2008, the NTSB on September 1 issued 19 safety recommend

Responding to a sharp increase in fatal helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operations in 2008, the NTSB on September 1 issued 19 safety recommendations to the FAA, two other federal agencies and 40 government-operated public HEMS operators. The Safety Board added HEMS operations to its
Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements for the first time as a result of the eight accidents and 29 fatalities in 2008, the deadliest year for the sector.

The 10 recommendations aimed at the FAA address the issues of improved pilot training; collection and analysis of flight, weather and safety data; flight data monitoring; development of low-altitude airspace infrastructure; and the use of two pilots, autopilots and night vision imaging systems (NVIS).