Cancelled my first flight (an Angel Flight) due to icing threat today

Hobobiker

Hobobiker

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Was hoping to fly from northwest Ohio to the WV area and then over to PA. Online weather forecasts, observations and pireps showed some pretty ugly icing everywhere and low ceilings upon return in the afternoon. Weather briefer said the same. Then a commercial pilot/CFII looking over the shoulder during the weather review said something like "no way, not in an Arrow - gimme something with deicing equipment for that ride..." Decided to be safe, especially when another AF pilot south of the ice was able to handle the transport.

Lots of "first times" in aviation. This was my first cancel for fear of ice. Probably many more to come.
 
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Good call. I'd rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air then in the air wishing I was on the ground.
 
Just remember, the patient condition is not a decision maker. Your job is to make the flight safe, and make the correct decisions, and to not worry about the patient.

Sounds like you made the correct decision.

It tears me up inside when I have to say no, we can't go because of weather. Not to long ago hospitals would go "shopping" for someone to take the flight in bad weather. Many an air ambulance crew and patient has died because of that.
 
Good call.

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Zeldman said:
Just remember, the patient condition is not a decision maker. Your job is to make the flight safe, and make the correct decisions, and to not worry about the patient.

Sounds like you made the correct decision.

It tears me up inside when I have to say no, we can't go because of weather. Not to long ago hospitals would go "shopping" for someone to take the flight in bad weather. Many an air ambulance crew and patient has died because of that.
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That.


When they dispatch a call now days they don't even give any details on the pt until the pilot accepts, shy of the weight, which kinda also tells you if it's a kid. Ultimately I don't care, 6 year old, or 50 year old prisoner, all the same to me, because like you said, if you don't fly them they MIGHT die (does not apply to AF) but if you fly when you shouldn't and crash because you took a flight you shouldn't have, they most likely WILL die and so will the crew, plus it will be one less EMS asset to help others.



Good call, never second guess your gut or mentally try to MAKE a flight work.
 
No argument with your call to not fly. That is NEVER the wrong choice.
 
Congrats - you found yourself with the kind of decision that a Pilot in Command sometimes has to make. It can really be amazing how quickly your aircraft can be coated in ice with the right conditions. You made the reasonable call.

Many, many years ago I had a student who had been the sole survivor (paramedic) of a medical flight that crashed during an approach in low IFR conditions. That flight had been somewhat rushed due to the patient’s condition. This student was learning to fly as a kind of therapy to deal with some of the aftermath and fear of flying resulting after that tragic event.

You made a good decision.
 
Zeldman said:
Just remember, the patient condition is not a decision maker. Your job is to make the flight safe, and make the correct decisions, and to not worry about the patient.

Sounds like you made the correct decision.

It tears me up inside when I have to say no, we can't go because of weather. Not to long ago hospitals would go "shopping" for someone to take the flight in bad weather. Many an air ambulance crew and patient has died because of that.
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Hospitals still do shopping today but they don’t like to call it that. I don’t have a problem with the practice myself. Plenty of times there are bases that are socked in and can’t leave while another is in the clear. Plenty of lazy pilots out there as well who use weather as a crutch.

Just picked up a weather turn down last week. Did it within FAA / company weather regs and more importantly, safely. The bad patient weather turn downs are the most satisfying flights but at the same time, the most stressful. Doesn’t look good if you accept and can’t pull it off. Gotta be humble though and “tap out” if it comes to it.
 
It's heart breaking to have to cancel that kind of a flight, but you did the right thing.
I had a wonderful lady in my congregation who was a nurse on a medivac helicopter.
She and the rest of the crew are dead, because the pilot decided to take a bribe to fly in bad weather.
 
I've signed up for two Angel Flights only to have to cancel both for weather.
 
Add me to the list of folks saying “Good Call” and applying good risk management decision making.
 
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