Safety recommendations after Derriford Hospital helicopter death investigation

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published a report into a fatal accident at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth where several members of the public were subjected to high levels of downwash from the approach and landing of a search and rescue helicopter.

The helicopter was returning from a call-out when 87 year old Jean Langan was caught in the downdraft in March last year.

The helicopter, G-MCGY, was engaged on a Search and Rescue mission to extract a casualty near Tintagel, Cornwall and fly them to hospital for emergency treatment. The helicopter flew to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, which has a Helicopter Landing Site (HLS) located in a secured area within one of its public car parks. During the approach and landing, several members of the public in the car park were subjected to high levels of downwash from the landing helicopter. One person suffered fatal injuries and another was seriously injured.

The findings of the investigation

The investigation identified two causal factors for this accident:

The persons that suffered fatal and serious injuries were blown over by high levels of downwash from a landing helicopter when in publicly accessible locations near the Helicopter Landing Site

Whilst helicopters were landing or taking off, uninvolved persons were not prevented from being present in the area around Derriford Hospital’s Helicopter Landing Site that was subject to high levels of downwash.

The report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch also highlighted that a number of helicopter downwash complaints and incidents at Derriford Hospital were recorded and investigated.

Action was taken in each case to address the causes identified, but the investigations did not identify the need to manage the downwash hazard in Car Park B, so the actions taken were not effective in preventing future occurrences.

Safety action and recommendations from the AIIB's report

Following this accident, safety action was taken by the helicopter operator, Derriford Hospital and NHS England Estates to control and mitigate the risk. Additional action by Derriford Hospital and NHS England Estates to improve safety is either planned or in progress.

Helicopters used for Search and Rescue and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) perform a vital role in the UK and, although the operators of these are regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the many helicopter landing sites provided by hospitals are not. It is essential that the risks associated with helicopter operations into areas accessible by members of the public are fully understood by the Hospital Landing Site Keepers and that effective communication between all the stakeholders involved is established and maintained. Therefore, nine Safety Recommendations have been made to address these issues.

Crispin Orr, Chief Inspector of Air Accidents said: “This was an unusual and distressing accident in which an aircraft undertaking a mission to save life, sadly also resulted in the death of an uninvolved person and serious injury to another, who were blown over by high levels of downwash from a landing helicopter.

“Our in-depth investigation revealed systemic safety issues around the design and operation of hospital helicopter landing sites which need to be addressed at a national level. Helicopters used for search, rescue and emergency medical services play a vital role, but it is essential that the risks associated with helicopter downwash are understood and well-managed.

“The investigation has raised awareness of this issue and been a catalyst for important safety action, which has been taken to mitigate the immediate risk. In addition, nine recommendations have been made in this report to help improve coordination between the aviation and NHS stakeholders, to ensure the protection of uninvolved persons from helicopter operations at hospital helicopter landing sites across the UK.”

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