Four people are dead, including a pilot from Bend, after a medical helicopter crashed in Kern County, California, officials said.
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A pilot, nurse, paramedic, and one patient were on the flight, he added. A press conference was held where the CEO of American Ambulance, Todd Valeri, spoke about the tragedy, “We have a gather of our – we call it the SkyLife family”.
Conditions in Fresno are damp and foggy.
He said his team is still gathering information on weather and mechanics and had nothing to say about how they have contributed to the Thursday night crash.
Fire crews in Central California that are searching for a missing medical helicopter have found a debris field.
The Skylight helicopter was transporting a critical patient from Porterfield Airport to a Bakersfield hospital when normal communications were lost, said Daniel Lynch, director of Fresno County Emergency Medical Services.
SkyLife Air Ambulance is a partnership between American Ambulance and Rogers Helicopters, and they operate three air ambulance helicopters out of the Fresno and Visalia airports.
Nothing is known yet about what caused the crash in a rural area of mostly orchards near Sherwood Avenue and Highway 65, north of Bakersfield. Officials did not say why the patient was being taken to the hospital.
Investigators will look at possible factors including human error, mechanical malfunction and obstacles, such as bad weather, power lines or radio towers, said Gary Robb, a helicopter crash attorney based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Another recommendation urged use of terrain awareness and warning systems and night-vision imaging systems.
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Antczak reported from Los Angeles.
