m. Load the most seriously injured casualty last.
n. If a casualty has a special requirement, place him in the most appropriate
location.
(1) If the casualty will require in-flight emergency medical care, such as
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, place the casualty in an upper pan (tier) rather than a
bottom pan (tier) to facilitate access to the casualty.
(2) If the casualty has a traction splint and is being evacuated in a
Blackhawk helicopter, place the casualty in a bottom pan.
(3) If the casualty has a traction splint applied and is being evacuated in an
Iroquois helicopter, place the casualty directly on the floor.
(4) If the casualty has an I.V. in place and is being evacuated in an Iroquois
helicopter, place the casualty as low as possible (not in an upper tier).
(5)
Above all, follow instructions of the flight crew and flight medic.
o. Unload litter casualties in the reverse order from the order in which they were
loaded. The most seriously injured casualty is unloaded first.
5-4.
UH-60A BLACKHAWK AIR AMBULANCE
The Blackhawk utility helicopter (figure 5-1) is the primary air ambulance used in
combat. The crew normally consists of a pilot, copilot, crew chief, and medical
attendant. The normal patient loads for Blackhawk helicopters are given in the following
paragraphs. However, the ultimate decision for the patient load rests with the pilot who
must also consider weather and terrain.
Figure 5-1. UH-60A Blackhawk.
a. Medical Evacuation Kit. A medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) kit allows the
Blackhawk helicopter to carry litter casualties. FM 8-10-6, Medical Evacuation in a
Theater of Operations, gives directions for installing the kit. The litter support unit has a
central pedestal that can be rotated 90 when loading and unloading litters.
MD0001
5-4