I remember thinking
my hand reached for the door should I
try to run or stay in the aircraft it
was a typical night busy but not overly
so another call I see you too I see you
fairly routine at the receiving hospital
we accidentally left the radio in the
helicopter that's okay we'll get it if
we need it link of complacency after a
long walk to ICU we gave report charted
and assisted with care while socializing
in the distance an overhead page for a
trauma alert is that trauma coming by
air or ground
should we call to see if we need to move
off the pad no medCom will notify us but
we don't have our radio that's okay
they'll use our pagers to get hold of us
link of assumption what we didn't know
was that because we had been in ICU for
a while and medCom was busy with
multiple other transports our presence
on the helipad was forgotten link of
absent-mindedness our walk arounds
completed and nearly secured in our
seats we heard the sound of a helicopter
on final behind us my partner staring at
a landing light said hey do they see us
then louder do they see us my heart's
pounding I can't see them there's no
place to go no time to call do I run or
stay suddenly a helicopter passed over
us doing a go-around the other pilot
during his reconnaissance of the LZ saw
our tail light and went around he said
it was not even close he was in control
the whole time but our perception was of
danger
and what could have happened scared and
soberness the pilots awareness broke the
chain that we were building a chain
building toward disaster forged with the
links of complacency assumption and
absent-mindedness a chain I don't ever
want to forge again
you