Medical helicopter crashes in US, killing one crew member

On November 8 afternoon, a medical helicopter operated by air transport service Vanderbilt LifeFlight crashed east of Nashville, Tennessee, the US, killing one crew member and critically injuring two others, authorities reported.

No patients were on board at the time of the crash, they added, Caliber.Az reports per ABC News.

According to the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, the helicopter went down around 1:45 p.m. (local time) in a field between Lebanon and Gallatin, about 22 miles (35 kilometres) east of Nashville. The crash site is located roughly 12 miles (19 kilometres) south of the Music City Executive Airport and the aircraft’s base at the Sumner County Emergency Operations Center.

Vanderbilt LifeFlight confirmed that the two surviving crew members are being treated at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville. Such medical flights typically carry a pilot, a paramedic, and a nurse.

“Our hearts and deepest sympathies are with our Vanderbilt LifeFlight colleagues, their families, and loved ones during this difficult time,” the organisation said in a statement.

The helicopter, an Airbus EC130T2 manufactured in 2015, crashed just eight minutes after takeoff from the emergency operations centre, according to data from the aviation tracking websites FlightAware and Flightradar24.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

By Khagan Isayev