What Happens if Your Air Ambulance Gets a Flat Tire?

Last week, we wrote a blog about the intricacies involved in maintaining an air ambulance. We discussed the different types of inspections this method of medical transportation requires – specifically A, B, and C certifications. Each of these certifications involve a financial cost in terms of parts, labor, and out of service time for the air ambulance. However, no matter how well maintained an air ambulance is, and MedFlight911's air ambulances are very well maintained, things can break. Or in this case, a tire can get a flat.

When you get a flat tire in a car, what happens? You pull over, call roadside assistance, and then watch from the sidelines as your tire is replace. On air ambulance, the steps are similar. We call for a new tire. However, getting a new tire is not as easy as driving down the street to the local tire store. In fact, the tire we need may not even be in the state. In this case, the air ambulance trip will need to be postponed until another plane can be located and scheduled for the trip.

Even if a tire is available, changing the tire on a Lear Jet involves significantly more effort than changing a car tire. The entire air ambulance needs to be cleared. The patient needs to be taken off the flight to a safe location where their needs can be monitored. While the tire is changed, we need to evaluate the length of time lost. Can we still use the same pilot or is his airtime too limited at this point? When we arrive at our destination will our ground transportation be waiting? Who needs to be informed about our delay?

As we discussed earlier this week, planning a medical transportation trip is like solving a Rubik Cube. When a plane needs unscheduled maintenance, it twists the Rubik Cube and the colors are out of line. Fortunately, we are experts at the Rubik Cube. We can handle the unexpected during a trip because we plan for every contingency. Some times, things are out of your control, but good planning can account for almost anything.

We would love to discuss our medical transportation options with you. Contact us for a no obligation medical transport quote or call us at (888) 359-1911 for more information.