HOUSTON, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- All three crew members were killed when a medical helicopter they were aboard crashed on Tuesday in central Arkansas.
The Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter was en route to Crabtree, Arkansas to pick up a traffic accident victim, when it went down about 4 a.m. near Clinton, Arkansas, said U.S. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford.
"This is a tragic day for us here at Air Evac Lifeteam," said Seth Myers, the company's president and CEO.
"These were members of our family and we are devastated at this loss. Our focus at this time is on providing support for the family and friends of these crew members," he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will launch a formal investigation into the cause of the crash, Air Evac Lifeteam said.
Air Evac Lifeteam is operated by Air Evac EMS, Inc., the largest independently owned air medical service provider in the United States, which conducts its operations through 90 mutually- supporting air medical bases across 14 states.
