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4 Killed In Crash Of Medical Helicopter

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The Associated Press

Published: October 17, 2008

AURORA, Ill. - A medical helicopter carrying a 1-year-old patient crashed and burned in a wooded area of suburban Chicago overnight, killing all four aboard. The aircraft apparently clipped a radio tower, and authorities investigated Thursday whether the tower's lights had been on.

It was the sixth fatal crash involving medical helicopters this year, according to federal data, including one just last month in Maryland that also killed four.

The helicopter carrying 1-year-old Kirstin Blockinger of Leland was headed for Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago from Valley West Hospital in Sandwich when it went down minutes before midnight Wednesday, Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Rob Wallers said.
John Brannen of the National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter apparently clipped the radio tower support wire before the crash. A snapped wire hung from the 734-foot tower, which stands across a busy road from the crash site.

Brannen said the helicopter was flying about 50 feet below the top of the tower when the wire was clipped. He said NTSB was investigating whether lights on the tower were on at the time or could have been knocked out during the incident.

"I can say that when I was out here last night after the accident that the lights on the tower were not lit," Brannen said Thursday.

Authorities said engineers were evaluating the tower's stability. No one on the ground was hurt.

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