3 crewmembers killed in Oklahoma medical helicopter crash after transporting patient

Three members of an air ambulance crew were killed when their helicopter crashed late Saturday in Oklahoma, officials said.

The crash was reported near Weatherford after the control center lost contact with the Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter crew shortly before 11:30 p.m., the company said in a statement Sunday.

The crew was returning to base in Weatherford, 70 miles west of Oklahoma City, after completing a patient care transport to the capital, the statement said.

"Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to report that three crew members have perished in an incident that occurred on Saturday, January 20," the company wrote on Facebook. Air Evac is an EMS and air ambulance provider that operates out of 150 bases in more than a dozen U.S. states, including Oklahoma.

Nearby Air Evac teams assisted law enforcement with the search for the crew members. The company did not say where the Bell 206L3 was found and did not immediately release the victims' names.

"Our primary focus is on supporting the families and our team members," Air Evac said. "At this time, we are not sharing the names of the crew members aboard the flight. We ask that you respect the privacy of our team members and their families, and please do not share their names."

The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate the crash.

In:
• Oklahoma
• Helicopter Crash