Maryland Troopers Defend Helos

State police officials spent Sept. 9 trying to reassure critics in the state legislature that Maryland's air ambulance system is in capable hands, according to The Baltimore Sun. A recent Office of Legislative Audits review said about a third of the troopers’ aging Eurocopter AS365s were out of service for 51 days in the past fiscal year and the aviation unit did not track maintenance needs and cost per flight, keep up-to-date repair manuals, or comply with all federal and manufacturer repair orders, The Sun said. The 12-helicopter fleet has logged nearly 90,000 flight hours since 1989 without a major accident, injury or fatality. For related news