Air ambulance replaces
downed plane

Hawaii Air Ambulance has replaced a plane lost in a fatal crash on the Big Island earlier this year and is expanding service to seven days a week, the company announced yesterday .

The company expects to receive certification from the Federal Aviation Administration by Tuesday to fly the Cessna 414A as a medically equipped aircraft, said Andrew Kluger, chairman and chief executive of Hawaii Air Ambulance.

The new plane, to be based in Hilo, brings the private company's fleet to five aircraft serving 10 airfields, Kluger said. Three of the planes are based in Honolulu and the other one is based at Kahului on Maui. The company also has an agreement with Big Island Air to use a sixth plane, based in Kona, as a backup, he said.

The company, which is the licensed aeromedical carrier for the state, also is expanding its service to seven days a week from five to meet the needs of the community and health-care providers, Kluger said.

"Our collective voice was heard and our recommendations were implemented," said Lori Cannon-Solis, emergency room manager at Kona Community Hospital. "Having an air ambulance staffed every day of the week in Hilo will make a world of difference."

With the expanded service the company has hired several more pilots and additional medical crew, for an additional total cost of about $250,000.

The company relies primarily on payments from health insurance companies for funding, but under its agreement with the state must fly anyone who requests assistance, regardless of their ability to pay, Kluger said.

The new aircraft was needed to replace a Cessna 414A that crashed Jan. 31 north of Hilo, killing two paramedics and a pilot who were en route to pick up a 9-year-old patient.