Claris Law Legal Blogging Community

Editor: James T. Crouse
Profession: Aviation Accident Attorney

Category: Helicopter Crashes

In July the NTSB called the high (and increasing) number of medical helicopter crashes "critical" - the death toll now is 28 for the year. On Wednesday night this tragedy continued when four people perished in a helicopter crash in Aurora, Illinois - a 13 month old girl was among the victims. The single engine Bell 222, run by Bolingbrook-based Air Angels Inc. crashed in a field on it's way to Children's Memorial hospital in Chicago from just outside the city. The cause of the crash is not yet known, but one theory is the chopper may have clipped a wire from a 750 radio tower before crashing and burning. The crash site is in the residential area just across the street from the radio station and a snapped wire could be seen hanging from the tower - there were no ground injuries. the NTSB is trying to determine why the chopper was so low and if the tower lights were on at the time of the crash or if the incident knocked the lights out. It is unknown if there was a mechanical problem or an emergency on board. This is the third crash ever for Air Angels - the first one in 2003, which killed the pilot, listed the cause as pilot error/weather and mechanical error is listed as the cause of last year's crash in which there were no injuries. Air Medevac crashes have plagued the industry for the last year.