The FAA announced September 7 that it would launch an investigation into the Lee County, Fla. MedStar helicopter EMS program. MedStar is operated by the county’s Division of Public Safety and flies a Bell 430 and an MBB BO105. Lee County abruptly shuttered MedStar, at the time it said temporarily, August 21 and terminated its pilots and top managers following reports of operational deficiencies and billing irregularities; however, the program had been under strain since the Aug. 17, 2009, crash of its Eurocopter EC145 near North Captiva Island en route to pick up a patient. The crew survived what amounted into a nighttime controlled flight into water, but the helicopter was destroyed. The NTSB faulted the pilot for failure to manage the descent power setting while the autopilot was engaged.
MedStar’s recent difficulties appear related to its attempts to meet federal requirements to put the replacement helicopter for the lost EC145, a used Bell 430, into operation and to certify that helicopter and its pilots for Part 135 operations. The FAA will investigate whether MedStar performed revenue flights without the proper pilot certifications. County managers have already admitted that Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers were billed improperly for some of those flights and informed the county commission that the county would be liable for more than $2.9 million worth of patient flights flown by the 430 since late last year.
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