Two Lost, Third Missing After AS350 Nighttime Crash

Being part of a medevac crew is one of the most noble, and most hazardous, professions in the aviation community... and sadly, at least two more members of that fraternity were lost Tuesday night, in a helicopter accident near South Padre Island, TX.

The Associated Press reports two crewmembers onboard were killed, and a third is missing, after their Eurocopter AS350B2 impacted the water in Laguna Madre, about three miles west of the gulf cost community of South Padre Island, TX.

The Valley AirCare helicopter had reportedly flown from Harlingen to South Padre to retrieve a patient, but aborted its landing there due to poor weather. The helicopter was returning to Harlingen when it crashed shortly before 2200 local time. A witness saw the impact, Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said.

US Coast Guard searchers located the accident site, and recovered the bodies of flight medics Marcos P. Sanchez, and Raul Garcia Jr. Crews are still searching for the body of pilot Robert Goss, Cameron County Justice of the Peace Benito Ochoa told the AP Wednesday afternoon.

A representative of Valley AirCare referred AP calls to Metro Aviation, said to be the operator of the helicopter.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 911VA        Make/Model: AS35      Description: EUROCOPTER AS350B2
  Date: 02/06/2008     Time: 0255

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: SOUTH PADRE ISLAND   State: TX   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N911VA, A EUROCOPTER AS350B2 ROTORCRAFT, CRASHED IN THE BAY UNDER UNKNOWN
  CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE THREE PERSONS ON BOARD, TWO PERSONS WERE FATALLY
  INJURED, ONE PERSON PRESUMED FATAL, TWO MILES FROM SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   3     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 060231Z KPIL 280010G23KT 8SM OVC010 23/21 A2979

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: SAN ANTONIO, TX  (SW17)               Entry date: 02/06/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.stec-ems.org/