Two hospital workers and a pilot were killed when a medical helicopter crashed in Tennessee as the aircraft was headed to pick up an ailing child, officials said Tuesday.
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital President and CEO Meri Armour said the Hospital Wing helicopter was cleared for both weather and flight plans when it took off Tuesday morning headed to Bolivar (BAW’-luh-vuhr).
“This was a very experienced pilot and a very experienced crew and a great helicopter, so we’re all anxious to know what happened,” Armour said.
When the helicopter didn’t respond during a routine 10-minute check-in around 6:20 a.m., authorities began searching by air and ground. They found the burning wreckage in a wooded area of Somerville, about 45 miles east of Memphis.
WMC-TV in Memphis reported NTSB investigator Ralph Hicks walked through the site Tuesday afternoon. He said everything located in an area of about 100 feet diameter. Investigators will make sure all parts of the helicopter are accounted for as well as look closely at the weather and speak to witnesses.