Medical copter crashes in north-side Tucson neighborhood

[Ptah]

Source: Arizona Daily Star

A helicopter crashed on Tucson's north side this afternoon and burst into flames.

Two people were rushed to University Medical Center, but their condition is unknown at this time.

The helicopter crashed into a fence in front of a house on Park Avenue just south of Glenn Street.

Eyewitness Ricardo Carrasco said the helicopter's roters stopped working and it started plummeting toward the ground.

Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_efea00a2-9a89-11df-83de-001cc4c002e0.html

[Michigan-Arizona]

1. Heard just now on the local radio station here in Tucson

That 1 person has died & the others are injured, very sad

[Kali]

2. oh no!

my youngest has been on the copter to UMC twice

hope they are all safe

[metapunditedgy]

3. Popular Mechanics recently had an article about why medical helicopters are so unsafe.

Apparently many times, they are not even needed; ground transport would work fine instead.

Sad; I hope things work out ok.

[GoldenOldie]

4. News just reported that the 2-severely burnt have died at UMC

My daughter a trauma nurse at one of the local Tucson hospitals said that there was no patients as the news reported there were only 3-on board and she said that it was a pilot, a paramedic and a RN. These medical flight professionals cover extremely large areas and are well known and loved by all the hospital er/trauma teams throughout Southern Arizona.

[MikeW]

5. I can tell you this ....

My 17 years as a volunteer firefighter says otherwise.

Whomever wrote that article is an idiot.

Med flight around here is only used for critically injured and when we cant transport to a local hospital because they cant
handle that type of case.

Not all hospitals have the same capabilities.