AFS-11-412-E October 5, 2011

Exemption No. 7118I Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2002-11655

Mr. William E. Butts Intermountain Life Flight

250 North 2370 West Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Dear Mr. Butts:

This letter is to inform you that we have denied your petition to amend Exemption No. 7118, as amended. It explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the

conditions and limitations.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated July 22, 2011, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Adm inistration (FAA) on behalf of Intermountain Life Flight for an amendment to Exemption No. 7118, as amended. That exemption from § 133.45(e)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations allows Intermountain Life Flight to conduct Class D rotorcraft-load combination rescue operations with an Agusta A109K2 helicopter certificated in the normal category under part 27. The amendment you request would amend Condition No. 4 by removing the phrase “repositioning flight to the nearest suitable landing zone to land the rotorcraft and load the rescue target in

the rotorcraft.”

In your letter, you stated that compliance with this condition is “burdensome” and provides “little benefit toward proficiency....”

Prior to the March 2011 grant of exemption, it was believed (albeit incorrectly) that each hoist iteration performed by Intermountain Life Flight resulted with the rescue target being recovered directly into the fuselage when it reached the aircraft. It was learned that, in actuality, a “short flight” to a nearby location to land and recover the rescue target into the aircraft was necessary. The rescue target remains outside the fuselage and attached to the hoist, thus remaining an external Class D load, during this time. The recovery of the rescue2

target is incomplete until such time as this task of landing and loading the target is accomplished or the rescue target upon reaching the landing zone is able to depart the area under its own power.

To not require the conditions listed in Condition No. 4 to be conducted would render the entire rescue activity incomplete and does not provide true scenario-based training for the crew. Therefore, your request to amend Condition No. 4 is denied.

Our Decision

The FAA has determ ined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 7118, as amended, remains valid with respect to this exemption and is in the public interest. Therefore, under the authority provided by 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, I deny your petition. The conditions and limitations

remain the same.

Conditions and Limitations

1. Intermountain Life Flight will conduct training for pilots and crewm embers in accordance with a Class D external load training program accepted by the Administrator before commencing the conduct of Class D rotorcraft load combination operations. The training program will include initial and recurrent training for pilots and other crewmembers, in accordance with § 133.37.

2. Intermountain Life Flight must submit a re quest to the certificate-holding district office (CHDO) for an amendment to its Cla ss D authorization and training program to allow the conduct of Class D external load rescue operations with these additional

limitations.

3. The rotorcraft used in such rescue operations will be equipped with Arriel 1K1 turbine engines.

4. The pilot in command (PIC) for such rescue operations must have a minimum of 25 hours of flight time as PIC in the Agusta A109K2. Additionally, each PIC must have successfully conducted 20 separate rescue hoist operations in the A109K2, either simulated or actual. Each of these hoist operations shall be conducted at an altitude that requires the aircraft to hover out of ground effect. Each hoist operation shall encompass the following elements: approach to the pickup site; establishment of a hover out of ground effect; establishment of a hoist lift where the rescue target is hoisted from the surface and is retrieved to a position next to the aircraft; repositioning flight to the nearest suitable landing zone to land the rotorcraft and load the rescue target in the rotorcraft; and departure from the landing zone. Flights between the rescue location and the nearest suitable landing zone must be conducted at a speed that allows for maximum control of the rescue target during its time outside of the

passenger compartment.3

5. This exemption is not valid for operations conducted below 2,500 feet mean sea level.

6. This exemption is valid only for rescue operations undertaken to reduce or eliminate a significant imminent threat to human health or life and when no other civil aircraft is reasonably available that meets the requirements of § 133.45(e):

a. In evaluating whether a threat is “significant and imminent,” Intermountain Life Flight, in consultation with appropriate and qualified rescue or medical personnel, must reasonably determine that a threat of serious injury or death is present; and

b. In evaluating whether any other civil aircraft is “reasonably available,” Intermountain Life Flight must determine that, at the time of the rescue operation, no other civil aircraft meeting the requirements of § 133.45(e) is available and capable of responding to the threat in a timely manner.

7. Prior to any flight conducted under this exemption, Intermountain Life Flight must conduct and document a risk assessment to determine that the operation can be safely conducted. A copy of each completed risk assessment must be retained for 2 years and made available on request to the CHDO.

8. Intermountain Life Flight, in consultation with the appropriate rescue or medical personnel, must reasonably determine that an external load hoist operation is necessary to respond to the threat in that the rotorcraft external load hoist operation offers the best opportunity to reduce or eliminate the threat to human health or life.

9. Transport of passengers rescued under this exemption must be conducted in accordance with the requirements of Intermountain Life Flight’s part 135 operating certificate (Certificate No. I7LA073J) and operations specification paragraph A021.

10. Intermountain Life Flight must provide the FAA with current information on the status of its helicopter replacement project. This information must include an expected timeline for fleet replacement. This information must be provided to the CHDO on a yearly basis, beginning August 30, 2011.

The termination date remains August 31, 2012, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. All conditions and limitations of Exemption No. 7118, as amended, remain the same. This letter must be attached to, and is a part of, Exemption No. 7118.

Sincerely,

/s/ Raymond Towles Acting Director, Flight Standards

Service