APRIL 28, 2015
TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS
A rescuer was killed yesterday when she fell from a medical
helicopter while attempting to save a woman from an Austin hiking trail.
Kristin McLain was 46 and a nurse for a 24-hour aerial
emergency service company called Travis County STAR Flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National
Transportation Safety Board are investigating the death and the scene of the
incident, a safety board spokesman said. The NTSB will look at several factors
such as flight history, weather conditions, and issues related to crew
performance, including fatigue, training, workload and equipment design.
According to the Austin
American-Statesman, officials said on Monday, STAR Flight responded about
8:25 p.m. to a rescue of a woman who had fallen in the Barton Creek Greenbelt,
an Austin park.
When they arrived, firefighters and paramedics decided to
remove her from the park by placing her on a hoist attached to the helicopter.
At about 9:50 p.m., McLain was helping pull the woman into
the helicopter when she fell from the hoist and died, Travis County officials
said.
The female patient was rescued and taken to an area hospital
with injuries not considered to be life-threatening.
McLain had worked for seven years as a registered nurse with
STAR Flight. She was a member of a staff that includes, paramedics, registered
nurses and technicians.
Officials said that in the 30 years since STAR Flight has
served the area, this is the first on-duty death.
We are saddened to say that a STAR Flight crew member lost
her life while conducting a rescue.On April 27, STAR Flight...
Posted by Travis
County STAR Flight on Monday,
April 27, 2015
| Date: | 27-APR-2015 |
| Time: | c2150LT |
| Type: | Eurocopter EC145 |
| Owner/operator: | STAR Flight |
| Registration: | |
| C/n / msn: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | None |
| Location: | Barton Creek Green Belt area, SW Austin, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | |
Narrative:
A medical crew-member received fatal injuries during a fall from during a rescue winching operation in the Barton Creek Green Belt area of southwest Austin, Texas. The helicopter was not damaged and no other injuries were reported as a result of the operation performed in gusting winds conditions. The casualty remained attached to the hoist cable.
A medical crew-member received fatal injuries during a fall from during a rescue winching operation in the Barton Creek Green Belt area of southwest Austin, Texas. The helicopter was not damaged and no other injuries were reported as a result of the operation performed in gusting winds conditions. The casualty remained attached to the hoist cable.
Sources:
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=175734 http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/rescuer-falls-from-helicopter-near-greenbelt-area/nk4mn/
http://kxan.com/2015/04/28/ntsb-investigating-starflight-nurses-death-in-greenbelt-fall/
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:0::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:28-APR-15,AUSTIN,STAR%20FLIGHT%201
https://starflight.traviscountytx.gov
https://www.facebook.com/STARFlightRescue/posts/806065439484785
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flight-nurse-suffers-fatal-fall-midst-texas-air-rescue-n349481
http://kxan.com/2015/04/27/starflight-rescuer-falls-from-helicopter-into-greenbelt/