Fixed-wing medical transport crashes: characteristics associated with fatal outcomes.

Introduction: Previous studies within the aeromedical literature have looked at factors associated with fatal outcomes in helicopter medical transport, but no analysis has been conducted on fixed-wing aeromedical flights. The purpose of this study was to look at fatality rates in fixed-wing aeromedical transport and compare them with general aviation and helicopter aeromedical flights.

Methods: This study looked at factors associated with fatal outcomes in fixed-wing aeromedical flights, using the National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Incident Database from 1984 to 2009.

Results: Fatal outcomes were significantly higher in medical flights (35.6 vs. 19.7%), with more aircraft fires (20.3 vs. 10.5%) and on-ground collisions (5.1 vs. 2.0%) compared with commercial flights. Aircraft fires occurred in 12 of the 21 fatal crashes (57.1%), compared with only 2 of the 38 nonfatal crashes (5.3%) (P < .001). In the multiple logistic regression model, the only factor with increased odds of a fatal outcome was the presence of a fire (56.89; 95% CI, 4.28-808.23).

Conclusions: Similar to published studies in helicopter medical transport, postcrash fires are the primary factor associated with fatal outcomes in fixed-wing aeromedical flights.