MEMPHIS, Tenn. - When Hospital Wing celebrated its 20th anniversary, the air ambulance chairman said, "We've never had an accident. It makes me nervous just saying it."
Since Dr. Bruce Steinhauer made that statement to The Commercial Appeal in 2006, the Memphis-based air ambulance service has experienced two fatal accidents that killed a total of six people.
The crash Tuesday near Somerville, Tenn., that took the lives of the pilot, a nurse and a respiratory therapist pushes the U.S. toll for air-ambulance fatalities so far this year to 12. It's the first time such deaths have reached double digits since 2010 when 16 people died.
Tennessee Medical Helicopter Crash was 12th Incident for Year to Date - News - @ JEMS.com