Medical helicopter crashes in Tennessee, killing 3 crew members

[News_Editor]

SOMERVILLE, TENNESSEE (BNO NEWS) -- A medical helicopter dispatched to pick up an ailing child crashed Tuesday in a densely wooded area in southwestern Tennessee, killing all three crew members on board, local and federal officials confirmed. The child was not yet on board.

The accident happened just after 6 a.m. local time after a Hospital Wing helicopter was called to pick up a child in Bolivar, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Memphis. A search was launched when the aircraft failed to respond during a routine check-in, after which the wreckage was discovered in a densely wooded area in Somerville of Fayette County.

"The helicopter departed Hospital Wing Heliport in Memphis and was headed to Bolivar, Tennessee, when it crashed under unknown circumstances," said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). "The helicopter was destroyed by fire."

The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter was carrying two Le Bonheur Children's Hospital employees, identified as a nurse and a respiratory therapist, in addition to the Hospital Wing pilot. There were no survivors. Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, the only pediatric medical center in Memphis, treats approximately 200,000 children each year.

"It is with sad hearts that we confirm a nurse and a respiratory therapist died in this morning's helicopter crash," the hospital said in a brief statement. "The families have asked us not to release the names of these heroic employees at this time. It is a sad day for the Le Bonheur and Hospital Wing families, please keep the families of this crew in your thoughts and prayers."

It was not immediately known what caused Tuesday's accident, which will be investigated by both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

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