An exclusive KIRO Team 7 Investigation digs into the accident record of an out-of-state leasing company that provides our local hospitals with med-evac helicopters.

It's been a disastrous year, starting with the crash of an Airlift Northwest EMS unit near Edmonds last September.

Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne sheds new light on what happened that night and what is being done to prevent future accidents.

It's been almost one year since a med-evac helicopter mysteriously dropped into the dark, cold waters of Puget Sound just off a pier, killing all three crew members.

Now, for the first time, the pilot's widow speaks publicly, in hopes of sparking safety improvements in this dangerous industry.

Norma Smith admits it sounds a little corny, but when asked to describe her husband, she without hesitation, says "a patriot and a hero." Steve Smith started piloting med-evac helicopters in Vietnam, then spent the next two decades flying thousands of life-saving missions for hospitals here in Washington.

On Sept. 29 last year, Smith, along with nurses Erin Reed and Lois Suzuki, died when their Airlift Northwest helicopter went down.

With a daughter nearby for support, Norma Smith talked with KIRO Team 7 Investigators as the anniversary of the accident approaches.

“What unites our hearts is the knowledge those that we loved were doing what they loved to do. That they had a sense of higher calling and purpose for their lives, and they represent the best of the human spirit.”

“I know that night it was a routine mission. I know that night, that Steve and Lois and Erin were in a climb. The helicopter was in a climb. That something catastrophic happened to that helicopter. I know that Steven would have given his life to protect Erin and Lois because that had always been his highest priority: the safety of his crew.”

The helicopter that crashed said Airlift Northwest on the side, but it was really owned, operated and maintained by a Pennsylvania leasing company, CJ Systems Aviation. It rents helicopters to and hires pilots for dozens of hospital outlets around the country.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators checked CJ's safety record and it's been a dangerous year for flight crews operating under its flag. According to official Federal Aviation Administration documents:

Nationwide, CJ Aviation reported seven serious accidents, resulting in six fatalities plus six injuries.

Locally, Airlift Northwest recorded two of those accidents: the Edmond triple fatal and one in Olympia, which destroyed a helicopter. CEO Stephen Lewis says the tragic events prompted his company to act.

“We tried to look at our organization, front to back, top to bottom. Anyplace we though we could find an opportunity to improve safety, we’ve seized that opportunity.”

Safety improvements at Airlift Northwest started with the purchase of military grade night vision goggles for all pilots. According to a Johns Hopkins study, darkness triples the risk for fatalities in EMS air crashes. Other safety upgrades include proximity warning alerts, radar and satellite weather equipment for this one, new helicopter. Five others units still rented from CJ Aviation are flying, but waiting for the new gear.

Norma Smith says it's time to give flight crews every tool needed to make it home each night.

“There have been a lot of improvements in safety and there is always room for more.”

Federal investigators tell me they may never be able to determine the exact cause of this Edmonds accident due to tough conditions. Some of the damaged helicopter remains in 580 feet of water. The family of one of the nurses who died here tells me they are confident of one thing: it was not pilot error.