Narrative:

I am writing to relay to you what seems to me a potential problem in EMS helicopter radio frequency procedures. I have been flying EMS helicopter operations 14 years. I have flown in various states in the same capacity. The problem I have observed over the years are the different beliefs of the common 'air-to-air' frequency for helicopters. Far/aim table 4-1-3 states that air-to-air general aviation helicopters frequency is 123.025. Most communication radios only indicate two digits to the right of the decimal point. By confession I will admit that early in my career I believed that you needed some 'special' radio to get this frequency. I later learned from a better pilot that 123.025 was in every communication radio. It is viewed only as 123.02 and you may have to 'pull up' on a selector knob to get the .025 intervals. The problem has existed for years. I have just read two letters this week where the agencies are specifically asking arriving helicopters to use 123.050. This is not good. This is not what the far/aim has established or authorized. I like the idea that helicopters have their own private frequency but the medical facilities are not aware of this as a general rule. Instead the chain of events are being set for another accident. Pilots are tasked to potentially respond to over 75 different hospitals and landing zones. Isn't it futile to expect every pilot to be aware of every hospital's changing policies for using 123.050 or 123.025? I believe that one frequency only; 123.025; should be used at every hospital and landing zone. Accident scenes and hospitals have one to five EMS helicopters arriving simultaneously! How do aircraft keep on the same page? Those flts were originating from hundreds of miles away; using different vendors; and coming from different states! We need to use one frequency only for 'air-to-air.' answer: 1. I believe a reminder to all EMS operators about 123.025 would help. 2. I believe a reminder of 123.025 to all hospitals using helicopters would simplify and help eliminate a potential accident. I know that arriving aircraft miss out on other nearby traffic. I regret that safety may only be .025 frequency difference away.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has flown EMS helicopters for several years. He believes some hospitals have recently been designating an FAA air to ground CTAF VHF frequency 123.050 for their operations. This procedure is not in accordance with the FAA/aim suggested 123.025. The potential problems arise because pilots may be monitoring other frequencies for nearby airports and forget the facility specific frequency. One hospital in his area has four landing pads and it is not uncommon for a helicopter to hold for a landing spot with other helicopter traffic in the area. Hospitals with this amount of traffic must have a communication discipline that involves a commonly recognized procedure. Hospital procedures are commonly not written by people familiar with aviation standards and so conflict can arise. A unique EMS helicopter frequency would not be a bad idea and would be especially helpful in areas where heavy GA helicopter traffic is also present. That traffic may be covering special events; conducting training; photographing buildings or landscapes; etc. Generally not enough helicopters are simultaneously active in an area to create conflict but it does happen. The reporter has also seen aggressive competing EMS operators arrive at an accident scene to which that operator has not been summoned and not on a common frequency after hearing about the event on a police scanner. Aggressive pilots not on a common frequency are always a hazard in EMS operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMS HELICOPTER PILOT REPORTS HOSPITALS DESIGNATING AIR-TO-GND CTAF FREQ 123.050 INSTEAD OF USING THE FAA DESIGNATED AIR-TO-AIR 123.025 FOR GA HELICOPTERS.

Narrative: I AM WRITING TO RELAY TO YOU WHAT SEEMS TO ME A POTENTIAL PROBLEM IN EMS HELICOPTER RADIO FREQUENCY PROCS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING EMS HELICOPTER OPERATIONS 14 YEARS. I HAVE FLOWN IN VARIOUS STATES IN THE SAME CAPACITY. THE PROBLEM I HAVE OBSERVED OVER THE YEARS ARE THE DIFFERENT BELIEFS OF THE COMMON 'AIR-TO-AIR' FREQUENCY FOR HELICOPTERS. FAR/AIM TABLE 4-1-3 STATES THAT AIR-TO-AIR GENERAL AVIATION HELICOPTERS FREQUENCY IS 123.025. MOST COM RADIOS ONLY INDICATE TWO DIGITS TO THE RIGHT OF THE DECIMAL POINT. BY CONFESSION I WILL ADMIT THAT EARLY IN MY CAREER I BELIEVED THAT YOU NEEDED SOME 'SPECIAL' RADIO TO GET THIS FREQUENCY. I LATER LEARNED FROM A BETTER PLT THAT 123.025 WAS IN EVERY COM RADIO. IT IS VIEWED ONLY AS 123.02 AND YOU MAY HAVE TO 'PULL UP' ON A SELECTOR KNOB TO GET THE .025 INTERVALS. THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR YEARS. I HAVE JUST READ TWO LETTERS THIS WEEK WHERE THE AGENCIES ARE SPECIFICALLY ASKING ARRIVING HELICOPTERS TO USE 123.050. THIS IS NOT GOOD. THIS IS NOT WHAT THE FAR/AIM HAS ESTABLISHED OR AUTHORIZED. I LIKE THE IDEA THAT HELICOPTERS HAVE THEIR OWN PRIVATE FREQUENCY BUT THE MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS AS A GENERAL RULE. INSTEAD THE CHAIN OF EVENTS ARE BEING SET FOR ANOTHER ACCIDENT. PLTS ARE TASKED TO POTENTIALLY RESPOND TO OVER 75 DIFFERENT HOSPITALS AND LNDG ZONES. ISN'T IT FUTILE TO EXPECT EVERY PLT TO BE AWARE OF EVERY HOSPITAL'S CHANGING POLICIES FOR USING 123.050 OR 123.025? I BELIEVE THAT ONE FREQUENCY ONLY; 123.025; SHOULD BE USED AT EVERY HOSPITAL AND LNDG ZONE. ACCIDENT SCENES AND HOSPITALS HAVE ONE TO FIVE EMS HELICOPTERS ARRIVING SIMULTANEOUSLY! HOW DO ACFT KEEP ON THE SAME PAGE? THOSE FLTS WERE ORIGINATING FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY; USING DIFFERENT VENDORS; AND COMING FROM DIFFERENT STATES! WE NEED TO USE ONE FREQUENCY ONLY FOR 'AIR-TO-AIR.' ANSWER: 1. I BELIEVE A REMINDER TO ALL EMS OPERATORS ABOUT 123.025 WOULD HELP. 2. I BELIEVE A REMINDER OF 123.025 TO ALL HOSPITALS USING HELICOPTERS WOULD SIMPLIFY AND HELP ELIMINATE A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. I KNOW THAT ARRIVING ACFT MISS OUT ON OTHER NEARBY TFC. I REGRET THAT SAFETY MAY ONLY BE .025 FREQUENCY DIFFERENCE AWAY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER HAS FLOWN EMS HELICOPTERS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE BELIEVES SOME HOSPITALS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DESIGNATING AN FAA AIR TO GND CTAF VHF FREQUENCY 123.050 FOR THEIR OPERATIONS. THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FAA/AIM SUGGESTED 123.025. THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS ARISE BECAUSE PILOTS MAY BE MONITORING OTHER FREQUENCIES FOR NEARBY AIRPORTS AND FORGET THE FACILITY SPECIFIC FREQUENCY. ONE HOSPITAL IN HIS AREA HAS FOUR LANDING PADS AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A HELICOPTER TO HOLD FOR A LANDING SPOT WITH OTHER HELICOPTER TRAFFIC IN THE AREA. HOSPITALS WITH THIS AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC MUST HAVE A COMMUNICATION DISCIPLINE THAT INVOLVES A COMMONLY RECOGNIZED PROCEDURE. HOSPITAL PROCEDURES ARE COMMONLY NOT WRITTEN BY PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH AVIATION STANDARDS AND SO CONFLICT CAN ARISE. A UNIQUE EMS HELICOPTER FREQUENCY WOULD NOT BE A BAD IDEA AND WOULD BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY GA HELICOPTER TRAFFIC IS ALSO PRESENT. THAT TRAFFIC MAY BE COVERING SPECIAL EVENTS; CONDUCTING TRAINING; PHOTOGRAPHING BUILDINGS OR LANDSCAPES; ETC. GENERALLY NOT ENOUGH HELICOPTERS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTIVE IN AN AREA TO CREATE CONFLICT BUT IT DOES HAPPEN. THE REPORTER HAS ALSO SEEN AGGRESSIVE COMPETING EMS OPERATORS ARRIVE AT AN ACCIDENT SCENE TO WHICH THAT OPERATOR HAS NOT BEEN SUMMONED AND NOT ON A COMMON FREQUENCY AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE EVENT ON A POLICE SCANNER. AGGRESSIVE PILOTS NOT ON A COMMON FREQUENCY ARE ALWAYS A HAZARD IN EMS OPERATIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.