Identities Of Three Victims Onboard Released

We're days away from the release of the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the weekend crash of a Bell 206B medevac helicopter in Indiana... but investigators released one important piece of the puzzle Tuesday.

Decatur County Sheriff Daryl Templeton and NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson told The Associated Press it appears likely the helicopter's main rotor blades separated from the aircraft before impact, based on the location of the blades relative to the main wreckage site.

"The rotor blades were separated and came to rest about 200 yards away," Knudson said, adding the main rotor hub was also recovered near the blades. "We have witness reports reporting the same thing."

As ANN reported, the helo's crew of three was returning home Sunday from a community fundraiser for the Burney (IN) Volunteer Fire Department when the accident occurred. The helicopter reportedly plunged into a field almost immediately after takeoff, in a nose-down attitude.

On Tuesday, Air Evac EMS -- which owns Air Evac Lifeteam, operator of the accident helicopter -- released the identities of the three crewmembers lost in the mishap. Pilot Roger Warren, flight nurse Sandra Pearson, and flight paramedic and base manager Wade Weston all flew from a recently-opened base at Rush Memorial Hospital in nearby Rushville.

"Our focus at this time is taking care of their families and our employees and supporting them through this tragedy, as well as working to determine what may have caused this accident so we can prevent this from happening again," Air Evac President Seth Myers said in a statement.

Air Evac has 79 bases in 13 states. The company has suspended patient-carrying operations from all four of its Indiana centers. "They will go back into operation when it is determined they are ready," the company said.

Sunday's accident was the second fatal crash of an Air Evac helicopter this year. As ANN reported, three people were lost in January when their Bell 206A crashed near Tuscumbia, AL while conducting an aerial search for a missing hunter.

In April 2004, another Air Evac helicopter crashed near Evansville, injuring three crewmembers but killing the patient being transported. The NTSB ruled the accident was caused by an improperly-set altimeter.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.lifeteam.net