Trending Topics

Officials identify crewmembers killed in Ky. medical helicopter crash

Three members of Air Evac Lifeteam 133 were en route to pick up a patient when their helicopter went down in Owenton

By Bill Carey
FireRescue1

OWENTON, Ky. — Authorities have identified the crewmembers killed in a medical helicopter crash in Owen County on Oct. 7.

The Kentucky State Police told WLWT that those killed in the Air Evac Lifeteam 133 crash were Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken and James Welsh.

“Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to share that three crew members from AEL base 133 perished in a helicopter accident in Owenton, Kentucky today,” the company said in a statement Monday night.

An Air Evac Lifeteam social media post stated the helicopter crew, based in Grant County, was traveling to pick up a patient when the crash occurred.

The NTSB released a statement saying a preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the crash. An investigator will arrive at the scene on Tuesday.

“Once on scene, the investigator will begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. Part of the investigation will be to request radar data, weather information, maintenance records and the pilot’s medical records,” the statement said in part. “NTSB investigators will look at the human, machine and environment as the outline of the investigation.”

Trending
Clinton Mayor Will Purdie confirmed two residents died in the fire at the center, home to more than 100 people, as authorities searched through the night and investigate its cause
Building on the 2024 World Fire Congress, UL Research Institutes’ monthly sessions will tackle issues like lithium-ion battery safety and firefighter health
Rep. Brenda Pugh’s Bill 2848 would provide grants of up to $25,000 every three years to small fire companies and incentivize voluntary consolidation, building on her earlier bill that offered a $6,000 tax credit for firefighters and EMS personnel
The union’s lawsuit alleges a third-party test found oil and particulates in the air used to fill SCBA cylinders, and that the city of Huntsville withheld records about it