FAA investigating former Boston air ambulance pilot who allegedly fell asleep at controls
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which an air ambulance pilot allegedly fell asleep at the controls.
The former Boston MedFlight pilot fell asleep while conducting a flight from Martha's Vineyard to a Boston hospital on June 24, FAA officials said in a statement.
The pilot overflew the designated helipad at the hospital, but the transport was completed successfully, and there were no injuries to the patient or flight crew, Boston MedFlight CEO Maura Hughes said in a statement.
Fatigue played a factor in the alleged "isolated incident," Hughes said. The company is now working with a fatigue management consultant to review its policies and procedures so it won't happen again.
The company conducts about five flights per day on average, according to its website.
"Throughout our 34-year history as a nonprofit organization providing critical care medical transport to over 75,000 patients in need, the safety of our patients and crews has always been our highest priority," Hughes said.
The pilot no longer works for Boston MedFlight, The Associated Press reported.
Additional information was not immediately available.
