The call follows a series of reports from 9Wants to Know detailing the large number of post-crash fires following survivable helicopter crashes in the United States since 1994.
Calling the safety standards for helicopter fuel systems "antiquated," Congressmen Jared Polis and Ed Perlmutter told the FAA Thursday it needs to "act with expediency" to address the problem.
On July 3, a Flight for Life helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff in Frisco, Colo. A witness who spoke to 9Wants to Know estimated the helicopter fell from roughly fifty feet shortly before it became engulfed in flames.
Flight nurse Dave Repsher suffered burns on more than 90 percent of his body and remains in critical condition at University Hospital more than three months after the crash.
Pilot Pat Mahany, a veteran pilot with decades of experience, died shortly after the crash. A final autopsy report has yet to be released.
9NEWS has documented 173 fatal helicopter crashes since 1994 that resulted in post-crash fires. In 1994, the FAA required all newly manufactured and newly certified helicopters to have crash resistant fuel systems. While there was pressure to make it mandatory on all new helicopters, the FAA relented largely out of concern about cost.
The move allowed all helicopters models certified prior to 1994 to keep their fuel systems in place. For example, the helicopter that crashed in Frisco was only year old, but the model was certified in 1977 and thus it was not required to have a crash resistant fuel system.
Congressman Polis told 9Wants to Know Investigator Chris Vanderveen the discrepancy represents a "loophole that needs to be closed."
In late July, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a safety recommendation calling for the FAA to change the rules and require all newly built helicopters, no matter the date of certification, to have fuel systems that would meet or exceed the 1994 standards.
Recently, the FAA preliminarily agreed, setting into motion a potentially lengthy review process to bring about the change.
The letter from the Colorado delegation to the FAA sent Thursday requests the FAA act "as quickly as possible."
- Source: http://www.9news.com
Read the full letter here: http://1.usa.gov/1hXwFmA.
NTSB Identification: CEN15FA290
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, July 03, 2015 in Frisco, CO
Aircraft: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E, registration: N390LG
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 3, 2015, at 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopter Inc. (formerly American Eurocopter) AS350B3e helicopter, N390LG, impacted the upper west parking lot 360 feet southwest of the Summit Medical Center helipad (91CO), Frisco, Colorado. A post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Methods Corp and the flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and two flight nurses were seriously injured. The public relations flight was en route to Gypsum, Colorado.
According to Air Methods the helicopter was flying to the American Spirit of Adventure Boy Scout Camp near Gypsum, Colorado, for a public relations mission. Multiple witnesses observed the helicopter lift off from the ground-based helipad, rotate counterclockwise, and climb simultaneously. One witness estimated that the helicopter reached an altitude of 100 feet before it started to descend. The helicopter continued to spin counterclockwise several times before it impacted a parking lot and an RV to the southwest of the Flight for Life hangar and helipad. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, was damaged by impact forces, and was charred, melted, and partially consumed by fire.
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