FAA makes sure area medevac groups have proper contact info

A spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday the agency was reaching out to all area medical evacuation services to make sure they have the right phone numbers to call when needing clearance to fly.

This comes after Flight for Life officials said a pilot encountered a busy signal while trying to reach FAA personnel Friday night.

The Flight for Life pilot was trying to transport a 4-year-old Oakwood Hills boy who had been injured in a fall to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

Because of temporary flight restrictions prompted by President Obama's visit to Chicago, the pilot called the FAA for clearance but couldn't get through initially, Flight for Life officials said.

Eventually, the pilot received clearance. By then Cary firefighters had driven the boy to Centegra Hospital-McHenry, and he was flown to Lutheran General from there.

"I'm not sure what happened in that particular case, but today we contacted medevac services to make sure they have the numbers they need," FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said.

Flight for Life spokeswoman Tammy Chatman said her organization did obtain an alternate phone number for the FAA on Saturday. She added that two other Flight for Life helicopters received clearance after Friday's incident without any problems.

Cary firefighters could not offer any update on the boy's condition Saturday. He suffered a cut lip and possible head injuries after falling out of a window on the 5500 block of Greenview Road, but authorities said Friday the boy's injuries were not life-threatening.

A nursing supervisor at Luth-eran General said she couldn't reveal details about the boy's condition, citing privacy laws.