Jennifer T. Wells – Flight Nurse Killed 1/11/2004

My name is Adam Wells and this tribute honors my wife Jenny.  She was killed January 11th, 2005.  This picture was taken only weeks before her death.

My wife Jenny loved to help people. Her ambition in Nursing was to “make a difference.” She not only made a difference in helping severely sick and injured patients in Emergency Medicine, but she also made sure people were cared for emotionally as well. Unfortunately, her life and her career were ended entirely too soon.

As her husband, when she died I lost everything in life that was important to me; my best friend, my partner in life, and our chance at having a family. Her family and friends lost one of the brightest parts of their lives. Jenny was the one that was always sending cards, flowers or gifts when people were in need of some special attention. She always had an open ear and a non-judgmental attitude when somebody had a problem. The community lost a nurse that cannot be replaced for the talent and level of care that Jenny gave so selflessly. As beautiful as Jenny was on the outside, her heart was even more so. However, Jenny’s tragedy is not an isolated event.

Air ambulance safety is in dire need of stricter rules on EMS operators. According to a John’s Hopkins University study released in late January, an EMS pilot or crewmember flying just 20 hours per week during a 20 year career has nearly a 40 percent chance of being killed while on the job. A very high percentage of these crashes happened while the operators were flying under FAA aviation code part 91. Part 91 requires virtually no weather or visibility restrictions and has very lax rest requirements for pilots. Jenny was killed while flying a Part 91 flight. What is so upsetting is that EMS operators cannot legally fly with a patient or organ on board until Part 135 regulations are met. So why do these operators continue to fly Part 91?

I know Jenny would want these rules changed so that patients and colleagues no longer lose their lives.

In the memory of Jenny and the hundreds of others who have lost their lives tragically, please do what you can to have the FAA mandate Part 135 on all EMS flights.

Sincerely,

Adam Wells
PO Box 1974, Rifle CO 81650
(970) 353-1500 Email: coloradooutback1@aol.com