Safety of ORNGE choppers in doubt
European Aviation Safety Agency issued warnings, MPP says
The safety of patients and crew members on Ontario’s ORNGE air ambulance helicopters is at risk because the choppers’ tail rotors could fly off, says Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees.
At least three crashes have occurred outside Ontario with the same model of helicopter having tail rotor problems, he told the Legislature Monday as opposition parties kept pressure on the government over the ORNGE scandal.
Catching Health Minister Deb Matthews off guard, Klees showed air worthiness directives from the European Aviation Safety Agency that point to the Agusta Westland model139 choppers and warn of the safety of their tail rotors.
“They fall off,” Klees told reporters later, noting the OPP is investigating a questionable $6.7 million payment from Agusta Westland to ORNGE for marketing services.
“I would not want to be a pilot, I would not want to be a paramedic and I would not want to be a patient,” said Klees. “Whether safety was trumped by the financial dealings, I don’t know.”
Matthews acknowledged she was unaware of the directives and told reporters: “We’ve got people at ORNGE who are responsible for this, so I would urge you to have that conversation with ORNGE and get the facts.”
ORNGE said in a statement it has gone “far above and beyond” steps recommended in the air worthiness directives because “the safety of our employees and patients is the number one priority.”
ORNGE, also under investigation for other financial irregularities after a forensic audit by the government, paid the Italian firm $144 million for 12 of the helicopters.
A directive from the European agency Aug. 19 ordered helicopter owners to replace the tail rotors after 600 hours of flight following a fatal accident “possibly caused by cracks in a TR (tail rotor) blade.”
“This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to a TR structural failure resulting in loss of control of the helicopter.”
A Feb. 17 directive called for tail rotor inspections and maintenance after every 25 hours in the air.
The August directive applied to ORNGE choppers but the one in February did not, air ambulance spokesman James Macdonald said in a statement.
There were daily inspections from August to February of the tail rotor blades if the helicopters had flown and daily monitoring of data tracking mechanical functions.
“No defects were found during this time. We continue to carry out 25-hour inspections on all our AW139 helicopters,” the statement added. “Of the almost 400 AW139 aircraft that are currently in service . . . around the world, ORNGE operates one of the youngest and newest fleets.”