RENO – Care Flight-REMSA Health paused service of the Care Flight fixed-wing aircraft program following the medical transport plane crash that occurred Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 outside of Stagecoach, Nevada. With tremendous support from the community, the entire Care Flight-REMSA Health team continues to navigate the loss of the five lives onboard.
Care Flight-REMSA Health leadership, along with its board of directors, have completed an extensive review to determine the need for a fixed-wing program. In a commitment to providing the highest levels of medical care transport to our community, the organization reinstated Care Flight’s fixed-wing program with a return to service on Dec. 31, 2023. Guardian Flight will continue as the contracted aviation vendor for the Care Flight fixed-wing program. Guardian Flight will continue to be responsible for aircraft maintenance, pilot training and pilot staffing.
The fixed-wing program provides critical care transports to patients across a service area that spans 11 states in the western U.S. Care Flight crews have participated in refamiliarization training specific to the fixed-wing program. In addition, Care Flight has provided and encouraged crews to participate in comfort flights on the replacement aircraft.
Care Flight’s rotor wing aircrafts have continued to provide critical care service since March 6, 2023 after a pause in operations following the accident. All REMSA Health ground ambulance services have continuously been in operation. Care Flight-REMSA Health appreciates neighboring agencies’ assistance in providing critical care transport across its service area during the pause of its fixed-wing service.