Maryland board approves purchase of Medevac helicopters

Posted: 12:29 pm Wed, October 20, 2010
By Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved a $72 million contract to buy six Medevac helicopters to begin replacing an aging fleet.

The board voted 3-0 on Wednesday to approve the contract with Agusta Aerospace Corp. The contract includes an option to buy up to six additional helicopters between July 2011 and July 2013.

The first two helicopters are expected in Maryland within 18 months. The other four will arrive within two years.

Maryland currently uses 11 helicopters purchased between 1989 and 1999. One helicopter crashed in September 2008, killing four people and prompting extra scrutiny of the system, which was the subject of a critical audit by state analysts a month before the accident.