Scotland’s air ambulances back in air after cracked rotor fears

SCOTLAND’S two air ambulance helicopters which were grounded amid fears over their safety were last night cleared to fly again.

• The Scottish Ambulance Service had suspended flights of two air ambulances over safety concerns

• Cracks found on the two helicopters have prompted fears over the EC135 model

• European Aviation Safety Agency had ordered daily checks on EC135 helicopters after report of cracks

• Both helicopters cleared to fly last night

The Scottish Ambulance Service said the move to ground them had been taken as a “precautionary measure” by their operator, Bond Air Services.

It suspended flights by its fleet of Eurocopter EC135 helicopters after reports of cracks in the rotor blades on some of the aircraft.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said it had been told on Monday afternoon that Bond Air Services had suspended all EC135 flights as a precaution.

“The company has taken the decision as a safety measure following receipt of a Safety Information Notice from Eurocopter, which was followed by further reports identifying cracks on the lower hub shaft flange on the EC135,” he said.

It is the first time safety concerns have led ambulance bosses to suspend flights in the 12 years since they began operating in Scotland.

The ambulance service said contingency plans had been put in place, with coastguard and military helicopters ready to carry patients in need of emergency air transfer.

The coastguard had already been called to transport a patient with a “serious” health condition, an ambulance spokesman confirmed.

A Bond spokesman said of the concerns: “The company’s first priority is safety, and it has reported its decision to suspend the flights of the EC 135 to Eurocopter and awaits further comment from Eurocopter once they have completed their investigation.”

However, the company confirmed last night that after discussions with manufacturer Eurocopter, flights would resume at 7am today.

The grounding came weeks after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered daily safety inspections be carried out on the EC135 helicopters.

The checks came after a crack was found on the main rotor of a Scottish air ambulance during a routine inspection.

The discovery led the EASA to order a worldwide inspection of about 1,000 helicopters of the same model.

Scottish ambulance helicopters are based at Inverness and Glasgow and usually fly daily.

It is the second time in two years that the safety of the EC135 has raised concerns. In October 2010, air safety bosses warned that part of the transmission to the main rotor was not up to standard in the helicopters.

A previous report by Easa highlighted how an engineering and laboratory investigation had already found that deformed safety pins used to secure blade bolts could have caused them to rotate.

The report said the flaw “could lead to further crack propagation, possibly resulting in main rotor hub failure and consequent loss of the helicopter”.

The Scottish Ambulance Service continued to fly its two King Air 200C planes, which are based in Aberdeen and Glasgow. They mainly respond to non-emergency medical requests to transfer patients between hospitals.