24 April: Odds and ends at SFO

[kitsaber691]

Anyone know why UA214 had MEDEVAC in the callsign when it was merely taking off? Clip also has one last goodbye from Virgin America.

[wiedehopf]

organ shipping?

[VASAviation]

I would say organ shipping as well. That or just a patient from hospital to hospital for whatever reason.

Thanks for sharing!

[tim.landscheidt]

For reference: The use of "MEDEVAC" in this case is governed by the "Aeronautical Information Manual" (https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/aim_basic_chg_1_dtd_3-29-18.pdf), 4–2–4, b., 3.

[GeoffSM1]

This audio is from the flight's arrival at KORD. This does not in itself provide any
further information but having now had an opportunity to follow up on tim’s link to the AIM, I now agree the most likely explanation was the conveyance of an organ for transplantation.


 

[tyketto]

MEDEVAC, IIRC, is the more standardized version of LIFEGUARD when that term was used. Previously when used together, LIFEGUARD was used when a patient or organs were being transported from one location to another, while MEDEVAC was used to transfer a patient.

Case in point was TWA800, which was a LIFEGUARD aircraft, as it was transferring organs to Paris... obviously, those organs never made it. They standardized on MEDEVAC a while ago (Can't remember what version of the P/CG they finally standardized it on though).

BL.