Arizona Air Medical Helicopter Crash Kills Seven

According to local authorities, seven people are dead after two helicopters collided less than a mile from Flagstaff Memorial Hospital in Flagstaff, Arizona.

All three people on one of the helicopters were killed, including a patient and the pilot, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.

Four others were killed and three critically injured in the midair collision, Gregor said.

Tom Boughner with the Flagstaff Police Department said he wasn’t sure if they were all on the second helicopter or whether some were on the ground.

This is the second medical air helicopter crash in Arizona in the last week.

Bell 407 Medical Helicopters Involved in Crash

Both of the helicopters were Bell 407 models, according to the FAA. The Associated Press reported that one helicopter was operated by Air Methods of Englewood, Colo., and the other by Classic Helicopters of Woods Cross, Utah. Matt Stein, a spokesman for Classic Helicopters, told The A.P. that his company’s crew was landing at the hospital carrying a patient from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Mr. Stein said the helicopter’s pilot, paramedic and patient all were killed. A flight nurse was in critical condition at Flagstaff Medical Center. He said the pilot had more than 10,000 hours of flight time.