Pilot Testifies at Helipad Zoning Board Hearing

The council chambers were literally filled to capacity Monday night when the public hearing on Overlook Hospital's application for a helipad continued.

Fire fighters guarded the chamber doors counting the number of people inside as to not to exceed the occupancy limits, but no one had to be denied access to the meeting.

Before calling any witness, Bart Sheehan, Overlook's attorney expressed concern to the board over "pack the house" type campaigns being run by the opposition which could effectively cancel a meeting if room capacity is reached without an alternative place at city hall for people to view the hearing. He also said Overlook does not need permission from the zoning board to land helicopters on its roof, however it needs a variance to build the tower they seek to put the helipad on.

Overlook only got to call one witness to the stand Monday night: Capt. Steven Masi, lead helicopter pilot with Atlantic Health Medical Transport.

Masi, who is employed by PHI Inc., testified that currently Atlantic Health Medical Transport will land a helicopter at Morristown Airport, Connell Office Park, or in cases where a patient's condition has "rapidly deteriorated" at municipal fields such as Memorial and formally at Tatlock.

Masi testified that landing his 6,250-maximum-weight EC-135 twin engine helicopter is always safer on a helipad than on the ground.

"It affords us a known environment and a level of control," he said.

Currently when a patient needs to be air transferred to Overlook they are flown into one of these aforementioned locations and then taken by ambulance the rest of the way.

Masi also testified about the proposed flight patch to the helipad on Overlook's roof. He explained that whether the helicopter was approaching from Route 24 or Route 78, the aircraft would stay at 1,000 feet above ground level.

Upon final approach the helicopter would make a turn, actually over portions of Springfield Township, and the helicopter would begin to descend. Once it is above Celegene Corporation it would be at 400-500 feet above ground level.

Questions were raised from board members and residents regarding the safety of the EC-135 helicopter and the availability of the heliport for other company's aircraft. The hospital's application is for a helipad that could accommodate aircrafts up to 15,000 pounds because if PHI is unavailable for an air transport, the hospital may call upon the State Police, which uses larger aircrafts.

Michael Keats, an attorney representing four Summit families, asked Masi if aircrafts using Overlook's proposed helipad would be bound to the proposed fight plan and/or proposed safety standards that PHI is testifying to.

Masi said he could not guarantee other companies abide by the same safety standards as his company and said it is the hospitals responsibility as owners of the proposed helipad application to inform other transporters of the rules regarding flying into Overlook.

PHI, which also provides Medical transport for other area hospitals, was the first in the industry to have night vision goggles in 100 percent of its aircrafts, Masi said, a piece of equipment that has been at the center of controversy regarding recent helicopter crashes.

Residents did raise questions, however, about the airspace in this flight range, below 1,000 feet above ground level, being "uncontrolled air space."

Masi said pilots operate under "visual flight rules," otherwise known as "see and avoid" in this flight zone but expressed confidence that it did not pose a safety concern with either flights to Newark flying at a slightly higher altitude or with other aircrafts at this level.

Because it is uncontrolled it is also unregulated by the Federal Aviation Administration and therefore there is no government oversight regarding the rules and regulations regarding safety standards or the flight plan.

Questions were also raised about the process to decide whether the weather will prevent a flight from taking place, the possibility of needing to use a modified flight path in other weather conditions, and the possibility of the aircraft needing to hover over the hospital because another helicopter is using the helipad.

Masi said PHI uses an enhanced operation control system where a controller with access to nationwide weather information makes an unbiased decision whether or not to continue a flight in bad weather conditions if the pilot needs to consult an outside source.

In a weather situation, Masi also said the flight path would not change until the helicopter is immediately over the helipad and would not hover over the hospital but rather would circle the area, usually over a park or less densely populated area to minimize disturbance.

There remained about six people wishing to ask questions of the witness at the close of Monday's meeting and his testimony is scheduled to continue on Oct. 19 if he can resolve a conflict in his schedule.

Zoning Board Chairman George MacLean also asked Overlook attorney Bart Sheehan to schedule a second flyover for board members' information and for residents. The date and time of this simulation is to be announced.

The next meeting is set for Monday, Oct. 19. Sheehan said he still has to finish testimony from an architect and civil engineers and has new testimony from an acoustic engineer, a real estate expert and an electromagnetic energy expert. Kates also has witnesses.