Late night post....and did not catch the elevation error!
I believe what was being implied was the higher ground between the takeoff point and the destination rose 1100 feet above the takeoff point.
Tragic as this accident is....as all are....the FAA changes to operational control and weather review by operators has made a difference in the accident rate for EMS operators.
I posted the weather without comment as I felt it would be useful to those who care to examine such tragic events with an eye towards trying to understand how something like this can happen....perhaps to them in the future.
The value of a CVR and data recorder's value to investigators cannot be over stated.
Perhaps what is needed now is a recorded telephone line at the operators dispatch office so investigators can hear the conversation between the pilot and the person exercising operational control over the aircraft.