CHICAGO, IL- Chicago.cbslocal.com reports that a medical helicopter crash-landedon Saturday night, July 7, 2018, near I-57. The helicopter was carrying the pilot, two medical crew members, and a patient. All four occupants of the helicopter were transportedto the hospital. The patient is reportedly in critical condition while the crew members are all considered stable.*
One witness, Andres Herrera, said that he saw the helicopter while it was still in the air and that it was on fire. He said the helicopter looked to be out of control and that the pilot was trying to stabilize the aircraft. Another witness, Breanne Coober, also reported seeing the helicopter on fire and out of control.
According to authorities, the pilot made a mayday call prior tocrashlanding. When emergency responders arrived at the scene, thehelicopter was on its belly.
The rate of helicopter accidents in the United States has been declining in recent years. Data released by the Federal Aviation Administration indicates that the rate of helicopter accidents dropped from 4.95 per every 100,000 flight hours in 2013 to 3.19 in 2016. The total number of accidents went down from146 to 106 in that period. The number of fatal accidents dropped b even more, from 30 in 2013 to 17 in 2016.
Emergency medical helicopters have been getting safer over time as well. The rate of fatal accidents is about 2 per 100,000 flying hours. While this is higher than the 1.3 per 100,000 in general aviation, it should be pointedout that medical helicopters are often flying at night, in poor visibility, and making landings in places where accidents have occurred- meaning they have to land in places that are not designedfor a helicopter to land. Thiscan mean difficult terrain and the presence of obstacles like power lines.
If you were injured in a medical helicopter accident, contact Stein & Shulman, LLC Today
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If you were injured in an emergency medical helicopter accident in Illinois, contact Stein & Shulman, LLC, today to discuss your legal options with a skilled Medical Helicopter Accident Attorney. You can schedule a case consultation at no cost to you by calling our office at 312.422.0500.
Stein & Shulman, LLC
134 N LaSalle St, #820
Chicago, IL 60602
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