National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are probing the Nov. 14 medical helicopter crash north of Reno near the Nevada-California state line that killed all three crewmembers aboard.
The Aerospatiale AS350 crashed about 29 miles northwest of Reno in Lassen County, CA around 2 a.m., according to a FAA spokesman. The helicopter had dropped off a patient at a Reno hospital and was on its way to Susanville, CA. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash and resulting fire. The helicopter was operated by Mountain Life Flight out of Susanville. The company issued a brief statement confirming the loss of all three crew members aboard the helicopter.
The fatal accident marred a year in which the number of fatal helicopter EMS (HEMS) crashes had been reduced.
The Safety Board continues to probe the fatal accident of an EMS helicopter near Georgetown, SC on Sept. 25, issuing a preliminary report on the crash that killed the pilot, the flight nurse and a paramedic onboard the chopper. It marked the first fatal HEMS accident this year.
The Eurocopter AS-350 B2 (N417AE) helicopter owned and operated by Omniflight Helicopters crashed at about 11:30 p.m. ET while returning to home base after dropping off a patient in Charleston about two hours earlier.
For the HEMS industry, 2008 was the deadliest year on record with eight fatal accidents totaling 29 fatalities, earning the sector a spot on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.
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