Air Angels Helicopter Crash Near Aurora Kills 4 (Video)

Posted on October 16, 2008

An Air Angels medical helicopter transporting a 1-year-old girl to a Chicago hospital crashed and burned overnight. The Air Angels helicopter crash killed all four people aboard. See news video of the aurora crash below.

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The Air Angels medical helicopter was headed towards 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.

Sgt. Wallers said it’s possible that the Air Angels helicopter may have clipped a radio tower’s wire before the crash.

Children’s Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Julie Pesch said the 1 year-old girl was being transported to the hospital due to epileptic seizures. She later said she could not reveal the reason for the transport because of privacy rules.

Pesch said the child was on her way to the Chicago hospital because a hospital closer to the child indicated there was no room for her there.

The medical helicopter belonged to Air Angels Inc., an emergency medical transport service based at Clow Airport in suburban Bolingbrook.

Air Angels CEO Jim Adams told reporters the helicopter’s crew included the pilot, nurse, a paramedic, and of course the little girl being transported.

Adams 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 a fireball.

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.

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

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.

Such tragic news, our condolences to all the families of the victims.

Below is a video of the Air Angels crash news: