DENVER — Nine years after a fiery crash of a Flight for Life helicopter in Frisco, Airbus Helicopters has agreed to do what one of the Colorado victims has wanted the industry giant to do since he suffered burns on more than 90% of his body.
According to a letter sent to Airbus helicopter owners and operators, “AHI (Airbus Helicopters, Inc) now offers Airbus Helicopters CRFS (Crash resistant fuel systems) free of charge to U.S.-based operators, for U.S.-registered AS350B3, H125 (AS350 B3e), and EC130 B4 helicopters.”
Dave Repsher, then a flight nurse, was critically burned when the Flight for Life helicopter went down in 2015. The pilot, Patrick Mahany, died shortly after the crash. Another flight nurse suffered burns and other injuries.
Repsher survived the initial impact with relatively minor injuries, but was immediately coated with fuel when the aircraft’s fuel tank split open.
“I literally would have dusted myself off and continued with my day” without the fuel system break, Repsher said.
He and his wife Amanda Repsher welcomed the Airbus news while remaining skeptical of the motives. They have spent a good chunk of the last few years talking at conferences and trade shows across the country asking for more safety measures onboard helicopters.
> From 2018: Flight nurse who survived fiery helicopter crash still fights for change
9NEWS covered the issue of the lack of crash-resistant fuel systems for years following the 2015 crash. While Congress ultimately required all newly-built helicopters to have CRFS onboard, the 2018 legislation did not address what to do with the existing fleet of thousands of helicopters that did not have CRFS.
That same year, an Airbus-built helicopter crashed in the Grand Canyon, killing five. All five died not due to the crash but due to the fire that followed.
“I think the insurance companies are really stepping up to put pressure on the industry to change their ways,” Dave Repsher said.
In 2018, Airbus and Air Methods agreed to settle with the Repshers for $100 million. This year, Airbus and the operator Papillon agreed to settle with the family of one of the Grand Canyon crash victims for the same amount.
The decision by Airbus to offer, free of charge, CRFS retrofits still leaves operators with a decision on whether or not to take advantage of it. Helicopter operators will have to take their helicopters out of operations potentially for weeks to receive the CRFS.
“This is at least an acknowledgment on Airbus’ part that it’s time to do something,” Dave Repsher said.
Airbus, in a written statement, told 9NEWS the following: “Airbus Helicopters Inc. has offered the CRFS retrofit free of charge for U.S.-registered AS350 B3, H125 (AS350 B3e), and EC130 B4 helicopters as our own commercial policy to further encourage US operators to equip their helicopters with this system. Despite Airbus having offered commercial incentives to U.S. operators over the years, a number of operators have not installed the retrofit.”
> Watch the full 9NEWS documentary "Fueling the Fire" from 2015:
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