LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Six people were killed and one critically injured Sunday when two medical helicopters collided mid-air over Flagstaff, Arizona, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said.
Both helicopters were headed to the hospital when they collided, spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Three of those killed were aboard a Bell 407 operated by a company called Air Methods. At least one of those killed was a patient.
The other three fatalities were aboard the same type of chopper, operated by a company called Classic Helicopter Service of Utah. Another person on board was critically injured.
The FAA earlier said that seven people were killed and three injured.
No one on the ground was killed, Gregor said.
However, two ambulance workers were injured by the explosion of one of the helicopters when they arrived at the scene, a fire spokesman told local KPHO television.
The crash of the two choppers triggered a wildfire in a heavily wooded area that was swiftly brought under control, a Flagstaff Fire Department spokesman said.
FAA inspectors were heading to the scene of the accident, which occurred at 3:45 pm (1045 GMT), Gregor said.
"I certainly wouldn't want to speculate on what would have caused this," he said.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
