Air Methods Corporation, a major air-ambulance operator, has been sued by the U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn for violating Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
The complaint alleges that Air Methods operated an emergency-services helicopter on 51 flights after being notified by the FAA that the helicopter’s pitot-tubes—parts necessary to determine airspeed—were ‘severely corroded.’
A pitot tube is a component of the pressure measurement system used to determine airspeed. If a pitot tube is not functioning properly, it can cause the airspeed reflected on a helicopter’s instruments to vary significantly from the actual airspeed, which can present serious safety concerns.
The complaint alleges that Air Methods was aware of the hazards of operating aircraft with severely corroded pitot tubes, as it had previously experienced a helicopter incident where burnt and corroded pitot tubes became clogged, causing the helicopter’s auto-pilot to partially disengage and the aircraft’s instruments to suddenly indicate an airspeed of 30 knots higher than the helicopter’s actual speed.
U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said, ‘When a federal safety inspector notifies an air-ambulance company that one of its helicopters has a potential safety issue, the company must address that issue.’ Air Methods kept the helicopter in the air despite being warned about the corroded pitot tubes, and Dunn intends to hold the company accountable for its actions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Kellogg is handling the case in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
The complaint seeks to recover civil penalties from Air Methods up to the maximum amount allowed by law for the alleged regulatory violations.
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Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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