A medevac helicopter crashed in Oklahoma on Saturday, killing three crew members, officials said.
The Air Evac Lifeteam (AEL) helicopter crashed in Weatherford just before 11:30 p.m. after the flight control center lost contact with the crew, the company said. announced upon Facebook.
“Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to report that three crew members were killed in an accident that occurred on Saturday, January 20th,” the company said. “At 11:23 p.m. local time, AEL's Operations Control Center (OCC) lost contact with a Bell 206L3 aircraft with call sign N295AE.”
The Weatherford-based crew was returning to base after transporting a patient at the time of the crash.
A nearby AirEvac team helped law enforcement search for the downed plane and its crew, but the company declined to say exactly where it was found.
“Our primary focus is to support the family and team members,” Air Evac Lifeteam said, adding that it had turned over the scene and investigation to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
In a follow-up post on Monday, the company released the names of the three victims.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that three of our colleagues, pilot Russell Haslam, flight nurse Adam Tebben and medic Stephen Fitzgerald, died in an air crash on the night of January 20th. I think so,” he said in a statement. “Please continue to keep their entire family in your thoughts. Russell, Adam, Stephen, we will miss you very much. We will take you from here.”
Thank you to the Air Evac family for all the support and love you have shown during this difficult time. that is extremely…
Contributor Air Evac Life Team upon Monday, January 22, 2024
The deceased pilot's brother expressed his heartfelt condolences in the comments below the post.
“He was my brother, my best friend, my biggest hero…I feel the pain of everyone, especially the other crew members and their families…Godspeed, my brother and Until we meet,” Tim Haslam wrote.
Air Evac Life Team flight paramedic Daniel Robinson also loved the three crew members, writing that it was “an honor and privilege to work and fly with them.”
