One Dead, Two Injured

Investigators in Salt Lake City (UT) are beginning the search for clues into the fatal crash of an Agusta K-2 medical helicopter Saturday. The pilot of the aircraft was killed, a flight nurse and paramedic injured, when witnesses say the K-2 suddenly plunged to the ground from an altitude of approximately 600 feet.

Last Mission Of Mercy

The helicopter had just rescued a 20-year old female hiker who had suffered heat exhaustion while climbing Mt. Olympus. The patient was delivered to Salt Lake's LDS hospital. The aircraft took off from the medical center's helipad, climbed to approximately 600 feet and then suddenly dropped to the ground in the foothills near Salt Lake.

"It's devastating," said Jess Gomez, spokesman for LDS Hospital, which operates the Life Flight service. "We all know each other up here. It's a tightknit family. It's a tragic night."

None of the names of those aboard the K-2 have been released. The flight nurse was expected to be released from the hospital Sunday, while the paramedic was listed in stable condition and was being held for observation.

That they survived, Gomez said in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune, "is pretty miraculous, considering the crash scene."

Search For Clues

Firefighters and recovery workers searched the foothills late into the night after the 8:15 p.m. MDT accident. The weather at the time of the crash was reported clear and, officials tell the Tribune, is not considered to have been a factor. Did a mechanical problem develop as the K-2 took off from LDS Medical Center? "There is no indication," said Gomez.

However, one witness told the Tribune that the aircraft appeared to lose a rotor blade just as it left the ground. "The blade just went out and it [the helicopter] fishtailed and it just went straight down," said Sandy resident Alice Menlove. "It just lost all of its oomph."

Investigators from the FAA and NTSB were expected at the crash site on Sunday.

The pilot received high praise from hospital and recovery workers for his efforts to avoid casualties on the ground as the Agusta helicopter went down. "It's a credit to the pilot who navigated the helicopter away from the roadway and from the houses," Gomez said. "He really made an effort to save the other passengers. Every day, they go up and put their life on the line," Gomez said. "People all over the state owe their lives to this dedicated community. We are just heartbroken by this."

Lifeflight Grounded

It was the third time in five years that a medical helicopter crashed in Salt Lake - the second time since January, when a pilot and paramedic were killed. LDS Lifeflight has now voluntarily grounded its remaining aircraft pending the results of an investigation into Saturday night's crash. Another medical flight service, AirMed, will fill in for Lifeflight until the investigation is complete.

FMI: www.ihc.com