Medical transport helicopter crash leaves crew members, pilot dead
Three people died after a medical transport helicopter crashed in Madison County, Mississippi, on Monday afternoon, according to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The aircraft was a Eurocopter EC-135 helicopter, which crashed into a wooded area around 1:15 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Authority said in a statement.
It was owned and operated by Med-Trans, UMMC said.
UMMC confirmed that no patients were on board, and that the victims were two crew members and a pilot. Their families were being contacted, the medical center said.
"Earlier this afternoon, AirCare 3, our Columbus-based medical transport helicopter, had an accident in rural Madison County, north of the Reservoir," UMMC said in a statement on Facebook. "Sadly, there were no survivors."
The FAA was investigating in the immediate aftermath of the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it was "launching a go-team to investigate" starting Tuesday.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves released a statement on X saying, "It's a tragic reminder of the risks Mississippi's first responders take every day to keep us safe. Our state will never forget the sacrifice of these heroes."
ABC News' Benjamin Stein and T. Michelle Murphy contributed to this report.
