The FAA’s report also says there was a post-crash fire. In total, the report says one pilot and two cabin crew members were killed.
It also lists the damage to the helicopter as “substantial.”
Kentucky State Police released the names of the three people who died in the crash.
Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken and James Welsh were pronounced dead by the Owen County coroner at the site of a crash near Kentucky Highway 22 East.
Jay Thomas told WCPO he heard a distant “thump” while working on his car near Amigo’s restaurant where the helicopter came down, and he shared videos with us showing a large emergency response and a convoy of first responders heading to the crash site.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of sad moments for their family,” Thomas said. “I know friends and family from the community, from the local area, I will be praying for y’all.”
According to the FAA, the Bell 206 helicopter crashed at around 6 p.m. Air Evac Lifeteam, an air medical service company, confirmed in a statement three crew members from its AEL base 133 in Grant County died in a crash in Owenton while on their way to pick up a patient.
“This was a terribly tragic accident, and our deepest sympathies go out to the employees’ families and friends,” a spokesperson for Air Evac Lifeteam said in a statement. “Our primary focus now is on supporting the families who were impacted as well as our team members. Critical incident stress management teams have been sent to assist our team members during this difficult time.”
The spokesperson said the company is working with the FAA and NTSB during their investigation of the crash.
The NTSB said their investigators would be on scene Tuesday afternoon, but cautioned it would take time for information about the cause and manner of the crash to be released.
“A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the accident,” an NTSB statement read. “The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash, along with any contributing factors, will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.”
The NTSB called for anyone with information or surveillance video that could help their investigation to contact them at witness@ntsb.gov.
Owen Electric Cooperative, Inc. reported a power outage for multiple customers at around 6:30 p.m. due to the crash. All power was restored shortly after at 6:50 p.m.
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