Word: fleeting
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Built in 1737, the HMS Victory (a later version would be commanded by Admiral Nelson) was, in its day, the most powerful warship in the Royal Navy. In 1744, it was part of the fleet, commanded by war hero Admiral John Balchin, that broke through a French blockade of the Tagus river at Lisbon. Returning to England, a fierce storm hit the fleet, first separating the Victory from the other ships, and then sinking it, reportedly near the Channel Islands. The 1,100 sailors on board, as well as the sons of some of Britain's most prestigious families...
...crash was a tragedy. It was not a surprise. Helicopter ambulances were a huge step forward in trauma care when the industry started in the early 1970s. But even as the fleet more than tripled in size, from 200 helicopters in 1988 to around 665 today, safety problems festered. On average, five EMS helicopters crashed every year between 1988 and 1997, according to new research by Dr. Ira Blumen, director of the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network. The average has doubled to more than 12 crashes per year since 1998. The past 15 months have been the deadliest yet: there...
...underpowered helicopter blind in foul weather is a common cause of fatal crashes, safety experts say. "There's nothing wrong with the Bell 206, but you have to recognize it's a small aircraft," says Vernon Albert, who founded 34 EMS flight programs, 15% of the nation's total fleet. "But where I get the rub is when the weather turns bad or gets dark. It's pretty limited in those conditions...
...meantime, some EMS chopper companies are deciding to spend lots of money to prevent what they believe is a common cause of many accidents. Air Methods Corp. of Englewood, Colorado operates 335 aircraft, the largest medical helicopter fleet in the U.S. Last year, the company experienced two fatal crashes in two months. The first accident, in May 2008, may fit the industry's crash profile. The helicopter went down on a night flight to the airport in Madison, Wisconsin, possibly as it encountered rain and fog, according to the transportation safety board's initial report. Three crew members died...
Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. *The "Fleet m.p.g." above reflects conditions produced in a lab. Actual on-road fuel efficiency is lower--24.1 m.p.g. for cars and 18.1 m.p.g. for trucks...