JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has ordered flags to fly at half-staff in honor of three crew members who died in a medical helicopter crash in Madison County.
The fatal incident occurred on March 10 when an AirCare helicopter went down in a heavily wooded area south of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center said no patients were on board at the time of the crash, WJTV reported.
The victims were identified as Clint Pope, a flight nurse and base supervisor for AirCare in Columbus, Terri Kindt, a critical care paramedic and Charles Wesolowski, a Med-Trans pilot.
Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for Health Affairs at UMMC, stated that AirCare 3 had flown to the Medical Center to transport a patient and was returning to Columbus when the crash occurred.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Southeast Minnesota ambulance directors say low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates and rising equipment costs are forcing services toward consolidation, pointing to increased tax funding and insurance coverage for preventative care as longer-term solutions
November 07, 2026 08:00 AM
Wapello County’s EMS Advisory Council recommends two round-the-clock ALS crews and a supplemental Ottumwa Fire Department ambulance as a first step, though funding remains uncertain amid a potential levy requiring 60% voter approval
November 07, 2026 12:00 PM
Flint Fire Department becomes one of just 25 to 30 in the nation with active CAAS accreditation, meeting the highest EMS standards about two years after relaunching its ambulance service following a more than 20-year hiatus
November 08, 2026 08:00 AM
Sharon Regional Health System dismissed most employees without secured payroll funding as it suspends patient services amid nearly $20 million in unpaid taxes, liens and loans since Tenor Health reopened it in 2025
November 08, 2026 12:00 PM