By Chris Vanderveen
KUSA
WASHINGTON — Months after a fiery helicopter crash left a Colorado flight nurse with burns on more than 90 percent of his body, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it may finally be ready to consider changing the way helicopter manufacturers design their fuel systems.
In a letter obtained by 9Wants to Know, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the FAA agrees with the recommendation put forward by the NTSB two months ago on the issue of crash resistant fuel tanks. The letter, sent earlier this week, said the FAA has already started the rulemaking process to change requirements for newly-manufactured helicopters.
9Wants to Know has reported extensively on the danger associated with survivable helicopter crashes and the lack of crash resistant fuel tanks in thousands of civilian helicopters. Last year, a flight nurse died four days after suffering burns on close to three-fourths of her body. Leslie Stewart had survived the helicopter crash just outside of a hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas, and had gotten a few feet out of the helicopter when a fireball erupted due to a leaking fuel tank.
Read full story: Fiery helicopter crashes prompt FAA to respond