Medical helicopters collide, killing at least 7
Pastor Dale Morgan
Medical helicopters collide, killing at least 7*
* Story Highlights
* Seven killed, including one patient; three critically injured
* Collision sets fire to 10-acre area near Arizona's Flagstaff
Medical Center
* "We've got lots of heaps of metal to go through," fire captain says
(CNN) -- At least seven people died and three were critically injured
Sunday when two medical helicopters collided in midair near a hospital
in Flagstaff, Arizona, authorities said.
At least one person killed in the crash was a patient, according to FAA
communications manager Ian Gregor.
The patient and two others were aboard a Bell 407 helicopter operated by
Air Methods Corp., an air medical service provider, Gregor said. No
further information about the other victims was immediately available.
The skies in Flagstaff were clear Sunday afternoon, CNN meteorologist
Karen Maginnis said.
The helicopters crashed around 3:45 p.m. in a wooded area near a
neighborhood, Flagstaff Police Department Sgt. Tom Boughner said.
No one on the ground was injured or killed in the crash, but two rescue
workers were injured by an explosion after the crash, Boughner said.
The collision ignited a 10-acre brush fire that was soon contained,
according to fire officials.
"As you can imagine, we've got lots of heaps of metal to go through,"
said Capt. Mark Johnson of the city's fire department. "It's just
difficult right now."
Johnson said there is a helicopter landing pad on the roof of the hospital.
FAA inspectors were on their way to the scene. Hospital officials could
not provide further information.
Last July, four people died when two news helicopters collided during a
car chase near Phoenix.