Three On Board Are Fatally Injured, Two Hurt On The Ground

A medical helicopter went down Wednesday in midtown Tucson, AZ, fatally injuring all three people on board. The crew has been identified as 61-year-old pilot Alex Kelly, 41-year-old flight nurse Parker Summons, and 28-year-old paramedic Brenda French. There was reportedly no patient on board at the time of the accident.

Multiple media sources including United Press International report that the aircraft impacted an outdoor wall adjacent to an occupied house and was engulfed by a post-crash fire. One eyewitness said the helo's rotors "stopped working", and the aircraft pitched down toward the ground. Eicardo Carrasco said the pilot somehow managed to steer the helicopter away from the house. Two people on the ground were injured in the accident, and they were taken to a local hospital

Tucson television station KGUN reports that the aircraft was operated by AirMethods Corporation that was put into service just last year and had only accumulated about 350 hours total flight time.

Kelly reportedly had some 14,000 hours as PIC.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov