2 dead, 1 injured in Arizona medical helicopter crash

PHOENIX — A medical helicopter with a crew of three aboard crashed in the Superstition Mountains in Pinal County, Ariz., killing two and seriously injuring one, officials said Wednesday.

The aircraft was reported missing at 6 p.m. MST on Tuesday. Crews found the copter's wreckage 2 ½ hours later and rescued the lone survivor from the rocky mountainside shortly after 10 p.m.

"It's surprising that there was a survivor, and we are grateful for that," Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said Wednesday morning, citing the rugged terrain at the crash scene and snowy conditions.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances about 20 miles east of Apache Junction.

The aircraft was a Native Air ambulance helicopter and was traveling from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to Globe when it crashed in a remote part of the Superstition Mountains, said Mark Clark, a Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

A pilot and two medical crew members, a nurse and a paramedic, were on board, he said. No patients were on the flight.

The Pinal County Sheriff's Office had not released the names of any of the victims as of Wednesday morning.

4 dead in medical helicopter crash in Central California

But Babeu confirmed that the pilot, who lived in Gilbert, Ariz., and a nurse, a 38-year-old Mesa, Ariz., resident, perished in the crash. A  medic, also 38 and a Gilbert resident, survived. All three crew members were male.

Babeu said the surviving crew member signaled to rescue teams using a flashlight and was extracted by a military aircraft and taken to a Phoenix trauma hospital in very serious condition.

One of the deceased victims initially showed signs of life after the crash, Babeu said. The medic attempted lifesaving measures, but the man died before rescue teams could reach the scene.

Air Methods, which owns the company operating the aircraft, said the helicopter was an Airbus AS305 B3.

According to the Airbus company website, the almost 5-ton, single-engine helicopter can reach speeds of more than 150 mph. It can hold a pilot and five to six passengers and is favored for law enforcement, medical services and civilian use.

"We are deeply saddened by the news that two of our crew members were taken from us, and our hearts go out to their family and loved ones," Air Methods spokeswoman Christina Brodsly said Wednesday.

"It's been a tough morning," she said.

Globe Fire Chief Al Gameros said that one of the crew members killed in the crash was a well-known "outgoing and positive" presence in the city who'd often participate in fundraisers and other events.

"It hits hard. We would interface with them all of the time," said Gameros. "I'm shocked to hear of what transpired. It's just a horrible tragedy and we're having a hard time dealing with it."

Gregor said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the deadly crash. An FAA safety inspector was en route to the crash site.

Gregor added that the NTSB will lead the investigation and that the agency probably would take months, if not longer, to determine the cause of the incident.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety was first notified of the crash at about 8 p.m.Tuesday, according to a department spokesman. The agency was asked to be part of a search-and-rescue mission.

Air Methods Corp., headquartered in Englewood, Colo., provides air-medical transport and other flight services, including tourism operations. It also designs, makes and installs medical spaces and structures for aircraft interiors.

Patient transport and related medical flight services represent nearly 75% of the company’s revenue, with tourism and charter services most of the rest. The company provides tourism operations in and around the Grand Canyon and Hawaiian Islands.

The company has been consistently profitable in recent quarters, earning $108 million or $2.73 a share on revenue of $1.06 billion over its last four quarters. Its shares, which trade in the stock market under the symbol AIRM, are worth about $1.7 billion combined.

In the normal course of business, Air Methods said, it faces legal claims resulting from helicopter accidents, billing-reimbursement disputes, employee-relations issues and claims alleging negligent medical care and transport.

“To date, no claims of these types of litigation, certain of which are covered by insurance policies, have had a material effect on us,” the company said in its annual 10K investor report filed earlier this year.

Contributing: Garrett Mitchell, The Arizona Republic.