THE Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has been grounded over a safety concern.
Bond Air Services has grounded its fleet of 22 EC135 helicopters as a precaution, while a fault on one, discovered during a flight yesterday, is examined.
Sherie Williams Ellen, manager of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance charity, said: “We have a temporary suspension of flights.
“The ambulance service still continues to provide the excellent land ambulance service so members of the public should not worry.”
She said there were no plans to bring in a replacement helicopter and it would be guided by Bond Air Services.
The model is the same as the helicopter that crashed into a pub in Glasgow last month, killing nine people.
An initial report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said there was “no evidence of major mechanical disruption of either engine” on the Police Scotland helicopter.
The grounding comes after a fault was found on a Bond-operated helicopter used by the North West Air Ambulance.
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