Helicopter ambulance crash kills three
Three members of an air ambulance crew were killed when their helicopter crashed in Oklahoma.
The crash of the Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter took place at around 11.30pm on Saturday night near Weatherford, Oklahoma.
The crew was returning to its base in the area after transporting a patient to Oklahoma City, around 70 miles away.
“Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to report that three crew members have perished in an incident that occurred on Saturday, January 20,” the company said in a statement.
The company operates its EMS and air ambulance services out of 150 bases around the US, including Oklahoma.
Air Evac teams in the region helped with the search for the crashed Bell 206L3 helicopter’s crew.
“Air Evac Lifeteam deeply appreciates the support they have received from the community and our partners in care during this challenging time,” an Air Evac Lifeteam official said on Monday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the names of our three colleagues lost in the tragic January 20 air accident. Pilot Russell Haslam, Flight Nurse Adam Tebben and Flight Paramedic Steven Fitzgerald. We continue to hold their families in our hearts.”
The National Transportation Safety Board says it will investigate the crash.
A preliminary report of the crash will take at least a month to be made public, with officials saying the full investigation will possibly take 12-48 months.
