Deadly crash reveals healthcare facilities are using old aircraft to transport patients

Light planes using piston engines instead of the safer modern turbines are still being used by Australian healthcare facilities


Decades-old light planes using piston engines instead of the safer, more reliable modern turbines are still being used by Australian healthcare facilities despite deadly crash, according to an article on the Sydney Morning Herald.

A pilot and his nurse passenger died in 2010 when the patient transport plane he was flying developed engine problems leading him to shut down one engine and attempt to land on a road.

The fully-fuelled 26-year-old aircraft slammed into a power pole and exploded during the landing attempt. 

A spokesman for Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority said there was no reason why piston-engine aircraft could not be used for patient transport work if they were "maintained and operated to the applicable safety standards."

Read the article.

 

 



February 23, 2016


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Dirty Floors: How Pathogens Can Accumulate and Spread Underfoot

Studies show that healthcare floors are covered in bacteria and can quickly spread throughout patient rooms. 


WellSpan Health Opens Its Newberry Hospital in Pennsylvania

This marks the opening of its 10th hospital in the region spanning Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland.


Cahaba Center for Mental Health Ensnared in Data Breach

On March 28, 2025, Cahaba identified suspicious activity in an employee email account.


Reframing the Construction Manager as a Community Manager

Managers must work with patients, community residents and other interested parties to ensure a smooth, successful construction projects


Health First Celebrates 'Topping Off' Ceremony for New Cape Canaveral Hospital Campus

Construction is slated to finish by the end of 2026 or early 2027.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.