News

Actions

2 die in medical helicopter crash in Arizona

Posted

(CNN) -- A medical helicopter crashed in Arizona on Tuesday, killing two crew members, the copter's owner said.

A third crew member is safe, said Christina Brodsly, spokeswoman for the company Air Methods. There were no patients aboard the aircraft.

"We are deeply saddened by the news that two of our crew members were taken from us, and our hearts go out to their family and loved ones," the company said in a statement.

The crash occurred near Apache Junction, Brodsly said. The town is located on the eastern edge of Phoenix.

The crew members included a pilot, a flight paramedic and a flight nurse. The company has not said which of them died and has not identified them.

Air Methods said it's cooperating with a Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

California chopper crash

Last week, an air ambulance chopper went down in Southern California, killing all four people on board.

The medical helicopter operated by SkyLife was transferring a patient in critical condition from Porterville Airport to the San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield, some 50 miles to the south.

The chopper dropped out of communication, and its wreckage was later found near the town of McFarland.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2015 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.