IDOT Plans More Study for Hospital Heliport Proposal
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 04:59PM
IDOT has NOT approved Children's Memorial Hospital's (CMH) rooftop heliport application.
IDOT recently informed SOAR that, after reviewing the material presented at the July 2009 public hearing and all materials submitted by all parties, “an additional study of the proposed heliport is prudent.” SOAR has informed IDOT that it agrees that the application and studies submitted by CMH do not demonstrate that the heliport can be operated safely at its proposed location. SOAR requested that the application be denied at this time. Instead, IDOT has contracted for additional study. IDOT anticipates that its study will be completed in early 2011. A second public hearing will then follow.
Highly qualified aerospace engineering and aviation safety experts Dr. Thomas Corke and Dr. Patrick Veillette have commented to IDOT that the nature of the agency's proposed additional study cannot adequately address the safety issues at hand. (Dr. Corke's Findings / Dr. Veillette's Findings)
SOAR has requested that Dr. Corke and Dr. Veillette (as well as any CMH consultants) be allowed to communicate directly with IDOT's new consultants as it is in everyone’s best interest that any further study adequately address the safety of the proposed location of the heliport and not come to misleading or erroneous results.
SOAR continues to focus on the serious and significant safety issues and concerns raised with this proposal.
Since the IDOT public hearing in July 2009, there have been 14 medical helicopter accidents, resulting in 19 deaths and 4 injuries. Four of the accidents occurred at hospitals.
Of particular note is the July 2010 accident involving CMH’s primary flight provider, Air Methods. Air Methods’ state of the art, fully equipped medical helicopter plummeted 600 feet in 8 seconds without warning into a residential neighborhood in Tuscon, killing everyone onboard.
http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12893603
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_a3eb1ce6-a032-11df-9aa0-001cc4c03286.html
SOAR will continue to communicate additional information as it becomes available. Please send us your comments or questions by email.





