There is so much to be said. There is so much to be written about regarding the crash of our Sikorsky S-76-A which took place on May 29, 2008.

I am so grateful for the emails, comments, phone calls, and well wishes. We were lucky. Very Lucky.

Not writing here has been difficult. I truly hope to be able to share more of my thoughts and feelings soon.

Instead, with this post, I want to share with you photos of my last flights in the “A.”

Brad turning final over
Muskegon at sunset

So many of our flights involve sunrises and sunsets. I’ve mentioned how lucky I am that I have such an incredible view out of my window. This flight was no exception.

As we land, many times we have an audience. This isn’t a great photo due to the lighting, but if you look closely (and click on the larger version), you can see the staff at the sending hospital watching us land on their pad.

Audience

We do a lot of dangerous and important things as a flight team. We also take every minute we can to tease, laugh, and laugh some more. This night, Brad and I were on duty with our flight physician Hartley. Not much keeps us from our Dove ice cream bars.

I scream, you scream…that’s right!
(l-r) Hartley, Me, Brad

The day before the crash, I was talking to Shirley, our administrative queen, and the corporation’s unofficial mom, about how I love being at work, because it is like being at home. We bicker and pick like any family, but when things are truly bad, we pull together like we are blood. We are that close.

Little did I know how that would be put to the test just 24 hours later.

Although I will miss flying in the “A” I believe this near tragedy is a beginning instead of an end. The fact that we were prepared as an EMS corporation and a hospital system to deal with the unspeakable, speaks volumes for the place that I call my second home.

Sunset on the roof with the “A”
22 May 2008

I’m so glad the only goodbyes are to some of the metal and engineering that allows me to do my job.

Equipment can be replaced.

I’m glad I found my EMS home.

Note: the above link to the local news coverage is just that—the news. Take it for what it is worth. Here is the link to the NTSB Preliminary Report.