Ninth Fatal Crash Of A Medical Helo This Year
The year has not been kind to the helicopter medevac industry...
with eight fatal accidents through the first nine months of 2008.
And, sadly, ANN must now report on the ninth fatal crash.
Two crewmembers, a flight nurse, and a one-year-old patient were
killed Wednesday night, when their Bell 222 medevac helicopter went
down in Aurora, IL. The helicopter was transporting the infant to
Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago when it crashed in a field,
FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory told CNN.
The helicopter (similar to type shown above) crashed near a
750-foot radio tower. Aurora Assistant Fire Chief John Lane said
the aircraft may have clipped one of the tower's guy wires.
"There is debris scattered 75 to 100 feet. There really is no
aircraft left per se," Lane said.
The Bell was operated by Air Angels Inc, a private emergency
medical transport service based in Bolingbrook, IL. The helicopter
had picked up the infant from Valley West Community Hospital in
Sandwich, IL.
Police evacuated 16 apartment buildings near the accident site
as a precaution, as crews inspected the tower for possible
damage.
Wednesday's crash comes less than one month after the last fatal
downing of a medevac helo.
As ANN reported, a Maryland State Police
Eurocopter Dauphin transporting two victims of an automobile
accident crashed September 27 in night IFR conditions near Richie,
MD. The helicopter's pilot was diverting to land at Andrews Air
Force Base due to the dense fog when the aircraft impacted near a
park trail.
Other fatal medevac accidents this year include the
February 6 downing of a Eurocopter AS350 near
South Padre Island, TX, that claimed three;
a June 29 midair collision of two Bell 407s
less than a mile from Flagstaff Medical Center in Arizona, which
claimed seven; and
the August 31 downing on takeoff of an Air Evac Lifeteam
Bell 206, as three crewmembers were returning home
from an exhibit at a community fundraiser.
Investigators with the FAA and NTSB were on site Thursday
morning in Aurora, to being their latest grim investigation of a
medevac accident.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 992AA
Make/Model: B222 Description: 222,
230, 430
Date: 10/15/2008 Time: 2358
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: AURORA State: IL Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
N992AA, A BELL 222 ROTORCRAFT AIR ANGELS INCORPORATED
AIRCRAFT, STRUCK AN
ANTENNA AND CRASHED, THE FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY
INJURED, 9
MILES FROM DUPAGE AIRPORT, AURORA, IL
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 4
# Crew: 3 Fat:
3 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: CLEAR, VIS10, WINDS LIGHT 4KT, A3014
OTHER DATA
Activity: Air Ambulance Phase:
Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: WEST CHICAGO, IL
(GL03)
Entry date: 10/16/2008
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