Geese may have caused the deadly medical helicopter crash, NTSB says
HYDRO, Okla. (KFOR) – A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows that geese may have been the cause of January’s medical helicopter crash near Hydro that killed three men.
Pilot Russell Haslam, flight paramedic Steven Fitzgerald, and flight nurse Adam Tebben with Air Evac Lifeteam were all killed January 20 when the Bell B06 helicopter crashed while returning to base after dropping off a patient.
“He really loved that job and unfortunately, he had to pass doing it,” said Dallas Tebben, Adam Tebben’s father. “I’m confident that he’s in heaven and we all are. He knew the Lord. And that’s important.”
EXCLUSIVE: Family of victim in deadly helicopter crash shares special memories about his life
“Russell was a devoted and loving father of 2 girls, Abby and Riley. He proudly served our country for 30 years prior to working for Air Evac Lifeteam. He will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends,” said Amanda Haslam, relative of Russell Haslam.
“EMSA mourns the loss of Paramedic Steven Fitzgerald, who was killed in a medical helicopter crash on Saturday. We knew him well,” said EMSA Oklahoma. “Steven served his country during tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, and Syria as a U.S. Army Flight Paramedic. Following his most recent deployment, he came back to EMSA. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to report that three crew members have perished in an incident that occurred on Saturday, January 20. At 11:23 pm local time AEL’s Operations Control Center (OCC) lost contact with the aircraft, a Bell 206L3 with call sign N295AE. The crew is based out of Weatherford, OK, and was returning to base after completing a patient care transport in Oklahoma City when the OCC lost contact with them. Nearby AEL teams assisted local law enforcement with the search.
Air Evac Lifeteam
Three killed in Oklahoma helicopter crash identified as investigation begins
NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration have been investigating what happened.
Now, the NTSB preliminary report shows the tragic accident could have been caused by geese.
The carcasses of several geese were located in the debris field as well as one embedded in a
flight control servo. Samples of the geese feathers were recovered for more detailed
identification.NTSB preliminary report
NTSB says a review of the US Air Force’s Avian Hazard Advisory System found the probability of bird activity “low” in the vicinity of the accident.
It is unclear when the full investigation will be completed.
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