Medical helicopter crash leaves three dead Saturday night near Hydro, Oklahoma
Three members of a medical air transport crew died Saturday when their helicopter crashed near Hydro, about 65 miles west of Oklahoma City.
At 11:23 p.m., the operations control center for Air Evac Lifeteam lost contact with the helicopter, a Bell 206L-3, which was returning to its base in Weatherford after transporting a patient to Oklahoma City, according to a social media post by Air Evac Lifeteam.
On Monday, Air Evac Lifeteam identified the three crew members killed in the crash as pilot Russell Haslam, flight nurse Adam Tebben, and medic Steven Fitzgerald.
Everything we know: Oklahoma helicopter crash leaves 3 dead, medical crew members identified
"Our primary focus is on supporting the families and our team members," Air Evac Lifeteam officials said in the social media post. "(Critical Incident Stress Management) teams have been sent to assist our team members during this time."
Nearby Air Evac Lifeteam crews worked with local law enforcement to find the crash site.
The investigation has been turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Air Evac Lifeteam operates more than 150 helicopter air ambulance bases across 18 states, according to its website. Crews are on-duty daily to respond to medical emergency scenes or transport patients between medical facilities, according to the website.
About 90 percent of Air Evac Lifeteam’s patient transports originate from a rural area.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Medical helicopter crash outside OKC leaves three dead Saturday night
