Air Methods Corporation, headquartered in Greenwood Village, will pay $825,000 to settle allegations that it violated Federal Aviation Administration regulations through the unsafe operation of medical helicopters.

The U.S. Department of Justice claimed that the company had “severely corroded” pilot tubes, which are used to determine airspeed, on one of its aircraft. One consequence of an erroneous speed indication could be the lack of autopilot function, as reportedly happened to one Air Methods helicopter in September 2013.

Attorneys for the government further argued that after an FAA inspector discovered the defects and took photographs, Air Methods agreed internally that the damages “are way beyond acceptable” and “indicative that our crews are not paying attention.” 

Air Methods denied it was in violation of federal regulations or that the pilot tubes presented a significant safety risk.

“When an FAA safety inspector informs an air-ambulance company about a potential safety issue, the company needs to address it immediately,” said U.S. Attorney for Colorado Jason R. Dunn. “The consequences of not working cooperatively with the FAA to minimize safety risks can be disastrous for the crew and for those being transported while seriously ill or injured. This settlement reflects how seriously we take any regulatory violations that could create such unnecessary risks.”

The prosecutors who handled the case were Ian Kellogg and Andrea Wang, the latter of whom was recently a finalist for a Colorado Supreme Court vacancy.