4 killed in medevac crash in Chicago suburb

The Associated Press

AURORA, Ill. — A medical helicopter transporting a 1-year-old girl to a Chicago hospital crashed and burned overnight, killing all four aboard, authorities said Thursday.

The helicopter was headed for Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago from Valley West Hospital in Sandwich, about 50 miles west, when it went down minutes before midnight, said Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Robb Wallers.

Wallers said the helicopter may have clipped a radio tower's wire before the crash.

Children's Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Julie Pesch initially said the child was being transported to the hospital because of epileptic seizures. She later said she could not reveal the reason for the transport because of privacy rules.

Pesch said the child was en route to the Chicago hospital after a closer hospital indicated there was no room for her there.

Wallers said the helicopter belonged to Air Angels Inc., an emergency medical transport service based at Clow Airport in suburban Bolingbrook. Telephone calls to the Air Angels offices were not answered early Thursday.

However, Air Angels CEO Jim Adams told reporters the helicopter's crew included the pilot, nurse and a paramedic employed by the company. He did not give their names.

He said the helicopter's pilot did not report mechanical problems, and weather was not an issue.

The helicopter crashed in a field near a residential area in east Aurora and became engulfed in flames. No one on the ground was hurt.

Aurora Assistant Fire Chief John Lehman said engineers were evaluating the structural integrity of the 750-foot tall radio tower after its wire was clipped in the accident.

The girl was initially to go to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, about 20 miles closer to Sandwich than Chicago.

Investigators of the National Transportation Safety Board were at the accident scene, Wallers said.

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The Aurora crash is the third involving Air Angels helicopters. In January 2003, an Air Angels helicopter crashed killing the pilot. Investigators determined pilot error and weather caused the accident. Mechanical problems were blamed for an August 2007 crash in which there were no injuries.