Board 3: Risk Management in Helicopter Air Ambulance Operations Using PFMEA

Abstract Aeromedical transport facilitated by helicopters constitutes an indispensable element of emergency medical services in the United States. Helicopter Air Ambulances (HAA) ensure swift access to specialized medical care in emergencies such as natural disasters or medical crises, significantly enhancing the chances of survival and reducing long-term complications. However, the transportation of patients across geographical barriers via airlifting is still susceptible to the inherent hazards of aviation operations. Therefore, conducting a comprehensive analysis to identify the risks associated with rotary-wing aeromedical transport is crucial to improve the sustainability of this mode of transportation. This paper discusses the application of Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) as introduced in the SAE AS13004:2017 standard to analyze HAA accidents. The PFMEA is a systematic and forward-thinking approach used by engineers and quality professionals to identify and assess the possible failure modes in a process, product, or system. In this paper, HAA accidents are analyzed using PFMEA as a systematic approach to identify potential failure modes, assess their effects, and prioritize them based on their criticality. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Case Analysis and Reporting Online (CAROL) database is used to obtain insights about HAA accidents. Exploring real-world safety challenges in HAA operations may provide a better understanding of the complexities of technical, human, and environmental factors associated with HAA accident and encourage engineering and management students to develop solutions to identify, assess, mitigate, and prevent such incidents. Engineering educators may use this study to teach the fundamental principles and methodology of a PFMEA standard used for risk management in real-world challenges in a safety-critical industries such as aviation.