SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A medical helicopter crash on Highway 50 in Sacramento Monday night left three crew members critically injured after an “in-air emergency” forced the aircraft to land in the middle of the highway. Remarkably, no motorists were harmed in the incident.
The medical helicopter, operated by REACH Air Medical Services, had just completed a patient transport to UC Davis Medical Center and was en route back to Redding. The flight, which had made a stop in Red Bluff, experienced mechanical difficulties shortly after takeoff at 7:05 p.m., leading to the emergency landing.
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Captain Justin Sylvia, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department, reported that the helicopter crashed upside-down, creating a significant debris field but avoiding a post-crash fire.
Firefighters and Civilians Lift Medical Helicopter Off Woman
The crash left a nurse, a pilot, and a paramedic critically injured. One female crew member was trapped underneath the helicopter. A combined effort by approximately 15 individuals, including a small fire department team and civilians on the highway, was required to lift the helicopter enough to extract the trapped individual.
“It took every ounce of all approximately 15 people to move that aircraft up just enough to get her out,” Captain Sylvia told ActionNewsNow. The injured crew members were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
Helicopter Design Prevented Fire After Crash
The aircraft was a Reach Air Medical Services H130, a single-engine helicopter manufactured by Airbus in 2021, designed specifically for medical missions and to prevent post-crash fires by containing the fuel, reports KCRA.
The absence of a post-crash fire can be attributed to the H130 model’s crash-resistant fuel systems, a feature recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in 2016. This recommendation followed two fatal crashes in 2015 involving other Airbus models where victims survived the crashes but succumbed to burn injuries from subsequent fires.
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The cause of the emergency and subsequent crash is currently under investigation. Authorities from the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to conduct a thorough review to determine the factors that led to the in-air emergency.
