Patient and three crew members killed in plane crash
American Medflight announced on 18 November the loss of three crew members and a patient after one of the provider’s medical transport Piper PA 31 planes crashed.
US air ambulance operator American Medflight announced on 18 November the loss of three crew members and a patient after one of the provider’s medical transport Piper PA 31 planes crashed. Local news outlet Elko Daily Free Press reported that the craft crashed into a parking lot in Elko Country, Nevada, on the evening of 18 November shortly after take-off. The plane was carrying a heart patient who was being flown to the University of Utah Medical Center from Elko Regional Airport. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has reported that there were no known injuries on the ground.
So far, the only victim named has been Captain Yuji Irie who, according to American Medflight, was ‘a skilled aviator and had saved hundreds of lives over a long career at American Medflight’. American Medflight said in a statement that it is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA in investigating the cause of the crash.
American Medflight added: “As a medical family, we are mourning the loss of our crewmembers and patient … Our priority at this time is to look after the well-being of the affected family members and their co-workers and to be responsive of their needs.”