The daily Google news-sweep on air ambulances brought up this little gem:
Cleveland Banner article
Air-Evac Lifeteam of McMinn County had a “harder than usual” landing Monday evening after the helicopter’s tail rotor clipped a power line. A patient who was on-board the medical air ambulance had reportedly been involved in two mishaps earlier in the day.
According to Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper John Cochran, John Shelton Jr., John Shelton Sr. and Barry Culpepper had been driving in the mountains along Highway 315 when their truck ran off the roadway. The younger Shelton was apparently struck by the vehicle as the three men attempted to get it back on the roadway.
After getting the truck operable, Shelton Jr. was placed in the bed of the truck. As the three traveled “away from a hospital,” according to Cochran and witness statements he had gathered, the truck left the roadway again and flipped, ejecting John Shelton Jr.
Emergency Medical responders requested that Air Evac Lifeteam land near the scene of the vehicle crash.
Officials then loaded John Shelton Jr. into the medical helicopter and as the chopper lifted off the ground, it struck the power lines. The pilot set the aircraft back onto the ground. No one was injured during the incident, according to Cochran.
Cochran said today that LifeStar from U.T. Medical Center and LifeForce from Erlanger Medical Center helicopters responded to take both Sheltons and Culpepper to EMC for treatment.
Investigations into both the “hard landing” and vehicle crash are ongoing.