Sacramento medical helicopter crash: What we know
Motorists lift medical helicopter to rescue woman after crash on highway
A medical helicopter crashed on a highway in California?s capital, critically injuring three people aboard, including a woman who was pinned underneath and was rescued with the help of motorists who lifted part of the aircraft, officials said.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A medical helicopter crashed Monday evening on eastbound Highway 50 in Sacramento injuring three people, including a woman who was pinned underneath and was freed with the help of motorists who lifted part of the aircraft, officials said.
Helicopter goes down after in-air emergency
What we know:
The Airbus EC-130 T2 helicopter went down around 7:08 p.m. after experiencing an "in-air emergency," according to Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Justin Sylvia. The aircraft had just departed a hospital after dropping off a patient.
No vehicles were involved in the crash, which occurred in the center lanes of the highway. Sylvia said it was "mind-blowing" that no one on the highway was injured.
Crew members critically hurt
Dig deeper:
All three people aboard — a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic — were taken to local hospitals in critical condition, Sylvia said.
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Bystanders helped free trapped woman
Local perspective:
One woman, trapped underneath the helicopter, was rescued by firefighters with help from bystanders who lifted part of the aircraft.
"It took every ounce of all approximately 15 people to move that aircraft up just enough to get her out," Sylvia said.
Motorist Aimee Braddock told KCRA-TV she joined others at the crash site to help release the trapped woman after seeing the aircraft plummet to the pavement.
"As soon as I saw that everybody was moving to try to push the helicopter out to help the first responders get to the passenger, I just ran over and got in the line of people and was just pushing it as much as I could," Braddock recounted. "Then we held it for several minutes, so the first responder could get the person out."
Eyewitness and good Samaritan accounts of helicopter crash in Sacramento
An eyewitness and good Samaritan describe what they saw and how they reacted when a helicopter crashed onto a highway in Sacramento on Monday night.
Investigation underway
What's next:
The helicopter did not catch fire, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.
The aircraft was a REACH Air Medical helicopter, according to the company, which said in a statement that they "are keeping all those impacted in our thoughts and prayers."
"We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, as well as the condition of the REACH crew involved, who were all taken to area hospitals," the company’s statement said.
Eastbound lanes of Highway 50 were closed throughout the night and reopened Tuesday morning.
KCRA and The Associated Press contributed to this story.