REACH Air Medical Services failed three off Catalina Island
By Daniel Okafor · Reporting from New York ·
A helicopter crash killed three people off Catalina Island, showing that REACH Air Medical Services traded safety for corporate profit.
REACH Air Medical Services failed three people who died in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. A medevac mission promises safety. This flight broke that promise. When a company turns emergency transport into a corporate asset, the human cost of a failed system becomes a line item.
The people in the water
The victims were not statistics. Steven Robinson was 59. He served as a Marine pilot who flew Marine One for a former president. Jessica DeVries was 48. She served as a nurse. Catalina Romero worked as a housekeeper on Catalina Island for over 20 years.
Romero suffered an allergic reaction to food during her lunch break. She went to the island emergency room. REACH Air Medical Services sent a Eurocopter EC135 to fly her to the mainland. Her 20-year-old son flew with her to translate. He survived the crash.
The aircraft crashed near Pebbly Beach on Wednesday evening. It went down shortly after it took off. Lifeguards found the wreckage 218 feet underwater. The U.S. Coast Guard searched over 130 sq. nautical miles to find the missing patient.
Why did the flight fail?
This crash shares a mechanism with Air Florida Flight 90. In 1982, that plane struck a bridge just after it took off from Washington National Airport. Both flights failed during a critical phase. When a craft fails seconds after leaving the ground, nature rarely causes the disaster. Systems or procedures broke down.
Some will argue that night flights over water are inherently risky. They will call this an unavoidable accident. But professional aviation relies on redundancy. A Eurocopter EC135 fits these missions. A plunge into the ocean shortly after takeoff suggests the company let its standards slip.
Corporate giants dominate emergency transport
REACH Air Medical Services is no local operation. The company belongs to a corporate structure, according to the Los Angeles Times. Air Medical Group Holdings bought REACH Medical Holdings for approximately $250 million in 2012. Robert Fish served as chairman when the group bought the company.
The company ties itself to the government. It holds contracts with the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense. One defense contract totals $9,914,261.74.
The medical examiner identified the pilot and nurse, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Company spokespeople said the pilot lived a "life of service" and the nurse had an "unwavering spirit." These words belong in a press release. They do not explain why a helicopter fell from the sky.
Federal investigators now examine the crash. They will look for a broken part or a pilot's mistake. They will produce a report. But the real breakdown happened before the helicopter hit the water. It happened in the boardroom and the hangar.
The wreckage carries the verdict. A company that secures millions in contracts and sells for a quarter-billion dollars must prioritize flight over finance. Three people died because a machine became a coffin. REACH Air Medical Services traded safety for profit.
Sources
- ABC7 Los Angeles: Steven Robinson, Jessica DeVries: pilot and nurse killed in medical helicopter crash off Catalina Island identified
- Los Angeles Times: Victims of Catalina medical helicopter crash identified
- NBC 7 San Diego: Medical helicopter that crashed off Catalina Island reportedly departed from Oceanside