FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Two medical helicopters collided yesterday afternoon about a half-mile from a northern Arizona hospital, killing six people and critically injuring a nurse, a federal official said.
One of the helicopters was operated by Air Methods out of Englewood, Colo., and the other was from Classic Helicopters of Woods Cross, Utah. Both aircraft were Bell 407 models, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration.
After the collision, the helicopters crashed in a wooded area east of Flagstaff Medical Center and started a fire that burned 10 acres before firefighters brought it under control. An explosion on one of the aircraft after the crash injured two emergency workers who arrived with a ground ambulance company. They suffered minor burns, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.
Capt. Mark Johnson, a spokesman for the Flagstaff Fire Department, said debris was spread across the scene. “They're not recognizable as helicopters,” he said.
Three people on the Air Methods aircraft, including the patient, died. On the Classic helicopter, the pilot, paramedic and patient died; a flight nurse was in critical condition at Flagstaff Medical Center.
The names of the dead and injured were not released.
“It's just a very unfortunate tragedy,” said Matt Stein, a program director and lead pilot with Classic Helicopters subsidiary Classic Lifeguard Aeromedical Services in Page, Ariz. Stein said his company's crew was landing at Flagstaff Medical Center carrying a patient with a medical emergency from the Grand Canyon's South Rim.
Stein said the pilot for Classic was experienced, with more than 10,000 hours of flight time. He added that it's rare for two medical helicopters to attempt to land at a hospital at the same time.
Flagstaff Medical Center doesn't have flight controllers, he said, and it's up to the pilots to watch each other as they approach.
“The key is you've got to communicate on the same frequency so other people know your whereabouts,” Stein said.
Air Methods officials didn't immediately return calls.
The weather was clear at the time of the accident.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were sending investigators from Washington, D.C., today to the accident scene, officials said.
Flagstaff is about 130 miles north of Phoenix.
