HomeNewsSuspended air ambulance for Burnham area returns to service

Suspended air ambulance for Burnham area returns to service

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The air ambulance that covers the Burnham-On-Sea area which was suspended from flying for three days went back on service on Sunday.

The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance model is one of the 22 particular models that were grounded on Thursday across the country after a defect was discovered.

It was also the model of helicopter that crashed on a pub in Glasgow, killing ten people, earlier this month.

Bond Air Services grounded its fleet of 22 EC135 helicopters in the UK as a precaution while the issue, which arose on Wednesday, was examined.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance spokeswoman Tracy Bartram said the helicopter went back on duty at 10.50am on Surnday morning.

A statement from Bond Air Services on Friday evening added: “Following our discovery during routine operations of an issue with an indicator system on one of our aircraft on the 11th December, Bond Air Services temporarily suspended service operations to allow precautionary testing.”

“This involved detailed examinations and tests to evaluate the function and accuracy of the fuel indicator system on our fleet of EC135s.”

“Following these tests we were able to release a number of aircraft back to full operational service on Thursday.”

“We did however identify a number of aircraft with the fuel indication anomaly. Having worked closely with the manufacturer, Eurocopter, to identify the immediate cause, we began a process of jointly testing.”

It has replaced the affected components and added that the repairs are in line with its “commitment to the highest standards of safety in all our operations.”

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