STAR Helicopter Crash Update
Daniel Maas
Here's a quick update on the Southern Tier Air Rescue (STAR)
helicopter crash. The crash occured on Monday, December 9, 1991 and all
three crew members died in the crash.
On Thursday, December 19, 1991 at 1900 hours an interfaith memorial
service was held in Ithaca, NY. Over 1000 people attended the one and
a half hour service in which the flight crew of Geoffrey Donovan (Flight
Paramedic), Cathy Glatzel (Flight Nurse) and Jim Egan (Pilot) were
remembered. Friends, family and clergy spoke during a service that
incuded music, poetry and prayers.
"They died as heroes. Not in a war in some
strange foreign country, but in a war fought
in our own backyards; a war against pain and
suffering and despair"
-Alan Phillips
STAR Flight Crew Member
The STAR Memorial Fund has been established for the benefit of
the families of the crew lost in the tragedy. Contributions to the
STAR Memorial Fund may be sent to the Tompkins County Trust Company,
The Commons, Ithaca, NY 14850.
A final report on the cause of the crash is not expected out
for at least six months and the future of STAR is still uncertain.
According to the Friday, December 20, 1991 issue of the Ithaca
Journal, '...the Regional Review Council of the Finger Lakes
Health Systems Agency urged the New York State Health Department
and Legislature to enact laws changing the way such helicopter
services are certified...'
-Daniel Maas
H3...@Cornella.Cornell.Edu
or
Dan_...@QMRelay.Mail.Cornell.Edu
David Stark
> From: H3...@CORNELLA.BITNET (Daniel Maas)
> Journal, '...the Regional Review Council of the Finger Lakes
> Health Systems Agency urged the New York State Health Department
> and Legislature to enact laws changing the way such helicopter
> services are certified...'
No surprise there. The FLHSA doesn't want helicopters flying that will
take patients to distant trauma centers instead of the local member hospitals.
Never mind the fact that the local hospitals are not equipped to render
appropriate care.
They fought the helicopter service that is now operating out of FF
Thompson in Canandaigua and lost (so far).
--
Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!260!218!David.Stark
Internet: David...@f218.n260.z1.fidonet.org