A medical helicopter crashed in Owen County on Monday night, killing three people.
The collision occurred at approximately 5:34 p.m. in Owenton, close to State Route 22, roughly two miles north of Owen County High School.
Based in Grant County, Kentucky, Air Evac Lifeteam 133 was operating the helicopter involved in the crash.
The firm released a statement on Monday night saying, “Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to share that three crew members from AEL base 133 perished in a helicopter accident in Owenton, Kentucky today.”
The crash is being looked into by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Three crew members were inside the helicopter when it crashed, according to the FAA, and they perished at the site.
Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken, and James Welsh were the crash casualties, according to Kentucky State Police. On Monday, the victims’ ages were not disclosed.
The crash happened as the helicopter was en route to a place to retrieve a patient, according to Air Evac Lifeteam.
Power interruptions were reported as a result of the helicopter crash, according to Owen Electric Cooperative, Inc., which provides services to inhabitants of Owen County. On Monday at 6:50 p.m., all customers had their power restored.
The Owenton, Owen County Volunteer Fire, and Owen County Search & Rescue departments shared on their joint Facebook page on Monday night that personnel had been called in and that a federal investigation was in progress.
A preliminary report is anticipated within 30 days following the incident, according to a statement made by the NTSB on Monday night. On Tuesday, an NTSB investigator is scheduled to arrive at the scene.
“The investigator will start recording the situation and inspecting the aircraft as soon as they arrive on the scene. Requests for radar data, meteorological data, maintenance records, and the pilot’s medical documents will all be made as part of the investigation.
As the framework for their study, NTSB investigators will examine people, technology, and the environment, according to a portion of the agency’s statement.
The chopper crashed behind the patrons of Amigo Owenton, a local restaurant owned by Ernesto Hernandez, who said they were outside on the patio.
Hernandez exclaimed, “Everyone working, we heard a big explosion.” “When we step outdoors, the sky is really gloomy, and everyone is curious as to what happened.
Hernandez reported seeing smoke and flames in the vicinity of the explosion.