havoc

medical crew die in helicopter crash
Aircraft had just dropped off patient at hospital in Reno, Nev.
The Associated Press
updated 11:27 a.m. CT, Sat., Nov . 14, 2009
RENO, Nev. - A medical helicopter crashed early Saturday north of Reno near the Nevada-California state line, killing three crew members aboard, officials said.

The helicopter, an Aerospatiale AS350, crashed about 30 miles northwest of Reno in Lassen County, Calif., around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. All three people aboard were killed.

The helicopter had dropped off a patient at a Reno hospital and was returning to its base in Susanville, Calif., Gregor said. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash and fire. The cause of the crash wasn't known.

Gregor said the pilot was not communicating with air traffic controllers at the time of the accident. FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators headed to the scene Saturday.

The helicopter was operated by Mountain Lifeflight out of Susanville, Gregor said. The company issued a brief statement confirming the loss of all three crew members aboard the helicopter.

KOH Radio in Reno reported the patient was dropped off at Renown Medical Center in Reno.


Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: 3 medical crew die in helicopter crash - Life- msnbc.com

inmate

It appears they went into Honey Lake just outside of Susenville, large lake with little or no features close to it.

Rest in Peace my friends, are thoughts are with you and your families.

ron-powell

About half way between Reno to Honey Lake.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20091114/...patient-3-dead

Gordy

Nope---That was the accident they had in 2002.

Here is this one:

Here

RENO — A Susanville medical helicopter crashed early today north of Reno near the Nevada-California state line, killing the three crew members aboard, officials said.

Pilot James Bradshaw, 39, of Hawaii, Chief Flight Nurse Clinton Reger, 40, and Chief Flight Paramedic Christopher Ritz, 37, both of Susanville, died in the crash, Mountain Lifeflight of Susanville announced this afternoon. The company operated the helicopter.

There was no patient on board, the company reported.

The helicopter, an Aerospatiale AS350, crashed about 29 miles northwest of Reno in Lassen County around 2 a.m. today, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

The helicopter had dropped off a patient at a Reno hospital and was returning to its base in Susanville, Gregor said. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash and fire. The cause of the crash wasn't known.

Gregor said the pilot was not communicating with air traffic controllers at the time of the accident. FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on the scene today.

The crash was the second fatal crash of a Mountain Lifeflight helicopter while on a return flight to Susanville after delivering a patient to Reno.

On March 21, 2002, a Eurocopter As-350B, operated by the company hit the glassy surface of Honey Lake about 11 miles from Susanville and tumbled into the chilly water, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The crash killed the pilot and seriously injured the two medics onboard.

NTSB investigators determined the 2002 crash to be caused by pilot error for not maintaining altitude, compounded by the disorienting smooth surface of the lake's water.

Both helicopters had transported patients to the Renown Medical Center in Reno, which changed its name from the Washoe Medical Center about four years ago, before crashing.

inmate

Sorry guys did not mean to mislead.

Still a sad day.