2 helicopter crash victims in stable condition, another released from hospital

MACON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Federal investigators are looking into the crash of a medical helicopter Thursday night near Franklin.

The EC-135 medical transportation helicopter with four people on board went down about 7 p.m. along Middle Burningtown Road in Macon County.

Macon County 911 Communications Supervisor Todd Seagle said a call declaring an emergency came in about 7 p.m., and, moments after the call ended, the helicopter went down.

LIFE FORCE HELICOPTER CARRYING PATIENT CRASHES IN MACON COUNTY

Seagle said Thursday night the patient and two crew members were taken to Mission. The pilot was not transported.

Erlanger Health System president and CEO Jim Coleman said Friday one crew member had been evaluated and released and two others on board were admitted to Mission Health.

Officials said Thursday that LIFE FORCE 6 was transporting a patient from a medical facility in Murphy to Mission Hospital in Asheville when it crashed.

Statement from Erlanger Health System president and CEO Jim Coleman:

Yesterday evening around 7 p.m., LIFE FORCE 6 crashed in Macon County, NC, while transporting a patient. Thankfully, all four individuals on board, including the patient, are alive. One crew member was evaluated and released from a local hospital. The others on board were admitted to Mission Health, a North Carolina HCA hospital, and are in stable condition. I appreciate the compassion shown by these two hospitals as they cared for our crew and patient while keeping our team informed.”

Statement from Erlanger VP of Patient Logistics Robbie Tester:

We are grateful to our partners in the healthcare community for providing great care to our LIFE FORCE family both on scene and in the hospital and to the Macon Co Sheriff’s Office and other local first responders for their assistance during this difficult time. I’m also grateful for all the calls, texts and concern shown by our staff, public safety agencies, and our air ambulance community from across the country. We do not have information regarding the circumstances or cause of the crash, but understand that the FAA and NTSB will be investigating, as is routine. Safety is of the upmost concern to our program, and as such we have suspend all LIFE FORCE operations until our crews feel ready to return to service."