Stat Flight Pilot Ticketed while transporting sick baby

[mikeinet 37]

(1/4/04) VALHALLA - Police in Connecticut have ticketed a Westchester County stat flight pilot for landing his helicopter in a hospital parking lot while trying to transport a sick infant.  

Stamford, Connecticut police say a doctor at the hospital called for a helicopter to bring a sick baby from the Stamford facility to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.

But cops say pilot William Pope violated a city ordinance that prohibits helicopters from landing at the hospital or anywhere in Stamford. Pope was charged with restricted activity of flight after a New Year's Eve landing at the Stamford hospital.

Police say the ticket was issued immediately after landing, and then the child was transported without delay. City administrators are now considering a revision of that ordinance.

http://www.news12.com/WC/topstories/article?id=98016

I'm sorry, but certain things like this are out of control - do people (not to say anything against cops) live such by rules these days that things such as this, people doing their job, helping others... not matter anymore?

*shrug*

[Mofire24 27]

Hopefully the Police Officers here in NY are just as nice to those CT Police Officers when they come to NY and return the favor.

Its an emergency vehicle if it is going on an interfacility transport that means the patient they were transporting was too much of a risk to transport by ground let them do there job!

[Guest VFDJrSqd02]

this is Outrageous! if a sick patiant is so sick that it needs immidate tranpertaion by STAT, then where else would you like him to land? Out side the city? This is so stupid it makes me twitch? lol

[Guest Lieutenant6474]

What at jerk... what is this Top Gun... It's not like Goose and Maverick just did a fly-by at 400+ knots.... The guy put a MediVac chopper down in a parking lot.... Maybe the next time we land StatFlight at the local highschool, the Principal will give the pilot a two afternoons in detention for not having his hall pass.

#-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o #-o

[mikeinet 37]

This article was in the Journal News today:

Pilot on baby mission ticketed

By MELISSA KLEIN  

THE JOURNAL NEWS  

(Original publication: January 7, 2004)

VALHALLA — It is not unusual for Westchester Medical Center's STAT Flight helicopter service to be met by police officers when out on a call.  

After all, the helicopter goes to the scene of car accidents and other emergencies to ferry patients to the Valhalla hospital.  

But the police officers who greeted pilot Bill Pope on a New Year's Eve mission to Stamford Hospital in Connecticut were not exactly a welcoming committee. After Pope arrived on a mission to pick up a critically ill newborn, they issued him a ticket accusing him of violating a city law that prohibits landing in Stamford.  

"Most of the time when we land, people are very happy," said Ted Tully, the assistant vice president for trauma services at the medical center.  

The STAT Flight service, which provides ground and air transportation, got a call around 11 p.m. Dec. 31 to take an infant, born 11 weeks prematurely, from Stamford to Valhalla.  

Scott Orstad, a spokesman for Stamford Hospital, said the baby had just been born and weighed less than 2 pounds. He said the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit could normally care for such an infant, but was at capacity that night.  

A doctor requested the transfer, but did not specify whether it be by helicopter or ambulance, Orstad said. He said the doctor was also apparently unaware of the city ban on helicopters.  

Stamford Hospital had, until recently, used the property of a nearby company, Cytec Industries, for helicopter transports and then brought patients to or from the hospital in an ambulance. The company was allowed under city law to accommodate helicopters.  

Tully said the medical center felt it was appropriate to dispatch the helicopter for such a call and did not think there would be a problem landing in Stamford because it had done so before, although usually at the Cytec property.  

"We asked where they would like us to land," Tully said. "The doctor asked us to land on their heliport on the grounds."  

When the helicopter landed, the crew on board was allowed to go into the hospital to get the infant as Pope discussed the situation with officers. The police said they were under orders to issue the ticket, Tully said.  

"They said they would allow them to take off," he said. "There was a concern as to whether or not we would be able to do the transport."  

Tully said the police presence did not delay the transport and the baby was brought to the medical center six minutes after taking off from Stamford.  

Stamford Police Chief Louis DeCarlo said yesterday that he did not know how officers became aware of the flight, but that their action was justified.  

"We have a law here," he said. "That law was violated."  

The prosecutor thought otherwise and dropped the charge.  

"Based on the circumstances surrounding the case, I believe dropping the charges was appropriate," Assistant State's Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. Colangelo said Monday.  

Kara DeNota, the aunt of the baby, said the family was upset that the pilot got the ticket. The baby's parents are from Carmel, but did not want to be identified.  

"He was just trying to help us and to get the baby to where he needed to be," DeNota said.  

[Oswegowind 17]

Doesn't White Plains have a No Fly Zone as well? What would happen there?

[Guest x901]

Stat Flight has landed win White Plains city limits, it does it every now in then

[Guest alsfirefighter]

IF there are no flyzones then they will generally attempt to avoid them as required. However no flyzones are put in place by the FAA and you can have your license revoked if you get caught..regardless of what the situation is.

Now as far as Stamford, you can't blame the cops. They are doing their job the way all police agencies are supposed to, neutrally. Regardless of what it was a ordinace is a ordinance. I believe I heard it mentioned that the City of Newburgh also doesn't like LZ's within the city, but with the airport so close you really don't need to. You issue the ticket accordingly, you accept the ticket accordingly and then you hash it out the way its suppose to work, in court or by other legal means. No offense to anyone, but emotion isn't always the best response, is it absurd yes, but like I said, the cops did their job correctly, and the prosecutor did his job and dropped the charges the legal system worked. And out of it Stamford will review the ordiance and more then likely amend it so that medical aircraft are exempt.