Page 1 of 2

New Mercy Air 5?

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:13 am
by ChrisK
I've heard several references on the air to a new helicopter being used as Mercy Air 5. Anybody know what they're flying now?

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:15 am
by mike
I heard an engine talking to them on Med Air and the firefighter said they were not used to the new aircraft and telling them where to land.

Im guessing it might be the MD-900 Explorer but im not sure here are some photos:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Mercy-Ai ... id=0879995



http://www.airliners.net/photo/Mercy-Ai ... id=0795056



http://www.airliners.net/photo/Mercy-Ai ... id=0753082


http://www.airliners.net/photo/Mercy-Ai ... _id=NEXTID

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:07 pm
by Brian
Mike that helicopter is gone! It's not even in San Diego County anymore.


411MA was MERCY Air 5 before it left...
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... rch=N411MA

This page shows our old 411MA went to another company in Feb, 2008.
http://www.aeroboek.nl/900/00091.HTM

Per FAA tail number N411MA Reserved N-Number now
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=411MA

I notice MERCY AIR backup helicopter that was in San Diego last year is sold to CALSTAR.
N902AM Mercy Ship
http://www.aeroboek.nl/900/00092.HTM

In September,2008 at Palomar Hospital I saw N427MA at the landing pad.
but that isn't a new helicopter... Maybe a new one for San Diego County area...
N427MA
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php ... rch=N427MA
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=427MA

If you look in these photos from June,2008 It was N427MA with Oceanside Fire)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26069853@N02/2597043822

Looks like I need to run over to Palomar Hospital. When I hear Mercy Air landing. and keep track when they fly over the house everyday.

My take the fire crew in north county is just hearing the different sound with the tail rotor. Since the old MERCY AIR 5 didn't really have a tail rotor.

What tail number is MERCY AIR 6 using this month ?

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:13 pm
by ChrisK
I think they're heading for Palomar right now with a patient from Ocotillo Wells. Then I think they're going to Carlsbad Fire Station 5 for an open house. Copter 1 is there now. Mercy Air 6 is in Fallbrook for another public event.

Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:08 am
by ChrisK
N427MA used to be in Mojave as Mercy Air 14. There's a photo of it at the following URL.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=176949&nseq=6

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:32 pm
by Brian
Update on this week MERCY AIR ships in San Diego county.

Saw N427MA on Wednesday flying over North County/Rancho Santa Fe.

Today(Friday) Just saw N419MA Fly over North County(RSF). heading SouthEast bound at 12:20pm
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... arch=47518
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php ... rch=N419MA

Could be a Orange County Mercy Air 4 ship coming down to San Diego County.


Mercy Air 3 landed in Rancho Santa fe today @ 3:03pm.
Then it flew to Scripps La Jolla.
For the landing they used '"White 3" channel.

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:43 pm
by mike
[quote="Brian"]Update on this week MERCY AIR ships in San Diego county.

Saw [b]N427MA[/b] on Wednesday flying over North County/Rancho Santa Fe.

Today(Friday) Just saw [b]N419MA[/b] Fly over North County(RSF). heading SouthEast bound at 12:20pm
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... arch=47518
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php ... rch=N419MA

Could be a Orange County [b]Mercy Air 4[/b] ship coming down to San Diego County.


[b]Mercy Air 3[/b] landed in Rancho Santa fe today @ 3:03pm.
Then it flew to Scripps La Jolla.
For the landing they used '"White 3" channel.[/quote]




Aren't those the old Mercy Air copters that they originally had I saw one of those back in 2000 land in Chula Vista for an MVA where I was at the scene.

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:16 pm
by Brian
I'm not sure what ships we had in 2000. It could have been 406MA doing those years. All the same ships looks the same.

Something is going on with tail number 406MA. I'm not sure what yet!
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=406MA

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:57 pm
by ChrisK
I think they must move the helicopters around, although the radio equipment must differ. Mercy Air 3 always uses White 3 because they don't have Med Air.

I know that 416MA has been in the area since at least early last month because I saw it fly over Montgomery Field on the 7th. It also landed on the city helipad at Montgomery (between Copters 1 & 2) on the 17th due to a maintenance problem while on the way to Children's Hospital.

None of the ones that we have identified are new though, so they're not just replacing older ones, except for the MD900 that was Mercy Air 5, which they apparently disposed of.

Another medical helicopter crashed a few days ago in Illinois. It apparently ran into a radio tower guy wire. There is speculation that the tower's lights may not have been on. There have been nine fatal medical helicopter crashes this year, about one a month.

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:16 pm
by ChrisK
Following are the listings for all of the helicopters registered to Mercy Air Service Inc and the ones with MA in the registration number registered to Air Methods Corporation from the FAA records.

401MA 33060 BELL 412 MERCY AIR SERVICE INC
403MA 47516 BELL 222U MERCY AIR SERVICE INC
406MA 47134 BELL 222B AIR METHODS CORPORATION
408MA 47135 BELL 222B MERCY AIR SERVICE INC
415MA 47568 BELL 222U MERCY AIR SERVICE INC
416MA 47526 BELL 222UT MERCY AIR SERVICE INC
419MA 47518 BELL 222UT AIR METHODS CORP
427MA 47558 BELL 222U AIR METHODS CORPORATION
429MA 47523 BELL 222UT MERCY AIR SERVICE INC

427MA is the newest and it was built in 1987.