GAO REPORT CALLS BORDER PATROL HELICOPTERS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE A recently released report from the General Accounting Office is highly critical of the Border Patrol’s acquisition of 11 new helicopters, saying that they are not reliable, and worse, are sometimes unsafe. The helicopters, the MD 600N, are made by MD Helicopters, formerly McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems.
At $1.3 million apiece, the craft apparently do not perform up to expected standards. According to the report, the controls are stiff and difficult to handle, leaving Border Patrol pilots and managers concerned about the helicopter’s performance. In making the decision to buy this helicopter, the Border Patrol was looking for a single vehicle that could perform many functions, including low surveillance and transportation. According to the GAO report, the craft is “inferior” to the surveillance planes it is replacing. Therefore, the GAO recommends that the Border Patrol rethink its decision to use a single multi-purpose craft.
Between December 1998 and March 2000 the helicopters were unavailable 50 percent of the time because of repair work that need to be done. While MD Helicopters told the GAO that it has addressed all of the problems, the GAO still expressed concern that the changes did not address all of the safety and reliability concerns.
The GAO report is available online at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/gg00201.pdf. < Back | Next > Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. | 
