A medical helicopter crashed during a training exercise in western New York on Tuesday afternoon, killing both individuals on board, according to state police.
The aircraft crashed at 1:00 pm in Genesee County, according to Maj. Eugene Staniszewski. The two victims were the sole passengers on the plane.
Medical Helicopter Crashes in New York
Mercy Flight is a Buffalo-based non-profit that transports people to regional hospitals in emergency and non-emergency situations. Its Bell 429 helicopter is based at Genesee County Airport in Batavia, roughly three miles away from the disaster scene.
The inquiry is being assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, Fox News reported. The flight allegedly took off from Mercy Flight's airbase in Batavia, which is about 3.5 miles distant, and was on a training mission, according to the trooper. It is said to have collided with electricity wires on its way down.
The wrecked airplane is shown in photos taken immediately after the incident, only meters from Norton Road. As first responders swarm the scene, smoke billows from the wrecked aircraft, a Bell 429 helicopter. Officers, according to Staniszewski, had no idea what the flight plan for the designated Mercy chopper was or where the air ambulance was headed when it crashed.
A witness to the tragedy told local news station News 4 that she saw the helicopter flying overhead and that the plane didn't sound right before it crashed. According to the witness, the air ambulance was having engine issues prior to the incident. Police said troopers and other first responders would likely stay at the scene overnight as they investigate the cause of the incident, which may take more than a month, according to Staniszewski.
Officers are interrogating several witnesses to the accident, as well as other residents, according to Staniszewski. Police did not say if anybody else was hurt in the collision or if there was a patient on board.
Mercy Flight is a non-profit air and ground medical transport organization based in Western New York that serves both emergency and non-emergency patients. The company also has operations in Canada and sections of northwest Pennsylvania, as per Daily Mail.
Mercy Flight Helicopter Crash Kills Pilot James Sauer
Mercy Flight operations will be temporarily halted to allow workers to digest the tragedy, according to Executive Vice President Scott Wooton. One of the victims was named James Sauer, a former New York State Police pilot who began working with Mercy Flight in October 2020. Mercy Flying did not reveal the identity of the other person who died, who was a Bell helicopter flight instructor.
Sauer was born and raised in Churchville, New York. He joined the National Guard in 1979 and has served since. In September 2020, he left the military. In Rochester, Sauer was honored with a ceremonial "final flight."
Between his military and civilian jobs, Sauer logged over 6,100 hours in the air. A helicopter crash in Western New York has been reported to Mercy Flight Central. All Mercy Flight Central planes and staff are safe and sound at this time, according to The Sun.
"Our thoughts are with all those involved," the company said in a statement to 13WHAM.
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