2 Medical emergency helicopters crash in mid-air, 6 dead

SeekingJana

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Happened this evening in AZ, close to Flagstaff. In addition to the 7 dead, 3 more are critically injured. ( They may be ground ambulance crew who were on the scene when one helicopter exploded).
This is so horrible. The helicopters were not recognizable as helicopters after the mid-air collision. God rest their souls and help their survivors to cope.
Maria

Edited because the death toll has been downgraded from 7 to 6. A flight nurse on one of the choppers survived the crash and is in critical condition. God be with her.
 
This is so sad. My prayers to the family and friends of these people who lost their lives helping others.
 
Sad, news. 7 killed and 3 critically injured. :(
What caused the crash?
 
Sad, news. 7 killed and 3 critically injured. :(
What caused the crash?

From all accounts, there was a mid-air collision of the two medical helicopters. The helicopters flights originated in different locations and were owned by different companies, and were flying patients to the same Flagstaff hospital, I'm not sure. As to what caused that to happen, I don't know specifically but it is usually pilot or ATC error. I doubt they had ATC support because the reports seem to indicate that both were preparing to land. Mid- air collisions can happen with both airplanes and helicopters in open airspace, especially if they were both coming into Flagstaff area hospitals and were looking for the hospitals' helipads. They were half a mile or less away from landing.

From the news article:
"One of the helicopters was operated by Air Methods out of Englewood, Colo., and the other was from Classic Helicopters of Woods Cross, Utah. Both aircraft were Bell 407 models, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Three people on the Air Methods aircraft, including the patient, died. On the Classic helicopter, the pilot, paramedic and patient all died. A flight nurse on the Classic helicopter was in critical condition at Flagstaff Medical Center.
"It's just a very unfortunate tragedy," said Matt Stein, a program director and lead pilot with Classic Helicopters subsidiary Classic Lifeguard Aeromedical Services in Page, Ariz.
'They were all heroes'
Stein said his company's crew was landing at Flagstaff Medical Center carrying a patient with a medical emergency from the Grand Canyon's South Rim.
"We've been in business 20 years, and these are the first fatalities we've experienced," Stein said. "They were all heroes."

Yes, they certainly were heroes. Praying for the nurse who survived the crash.
Maria
 

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