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Last Updated: Oct 6, 2008 - 12:00:27 PM |
MONDAY May 12, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- A University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Med Flight helicopter with a crew of three crashed on Saturday soon after it took off from the La Crosse airport, killing the surgeon, nurse and pilot on board, according to a statement released by the UW Hospital.
The Med Flight helicopter left Madison around 8:30 p.m. to transfer a patient to Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse. After the mission, the helicopter departed the La Crosse airport around 10:30 p.m. Even since, no communication had been received from the crew.
The crew was identified as Darren Bean, MD, Mark Coyne, RN and Steve Lipperer, the pilot. La Crosse authorities conducted extensive ground search and found the wreckage at 8:40 a.m. Sunday. The crash site was identified about four miles from the airport.
Preliminary reports indicate the helicopter may have flown into a hill and or struck some trees, the hospital said.
The weather was not a problem before the copter took off. But for unknown reasons, the pilot was flying the aircraft visually, not using instruments at the time of the crash, Mark Hanson, a hospital official was cited as saying.
The helicopter, an American Eurocopter EC13, was new, leased in the last year from Air Methods, according to the hospital’s statement. The second Med Flight helicopter was temporarily taken out of service following standard protocol.
"Our hearts and minds and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those lost in this tragic accident," said UW Hospital Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peg Van Bree at a Sunday morning press conference at the American Family Children's Hospital.
All three victims lived in Madison. Their families were promptly informed of the accident. Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz made a statement to offer sympathies on behalf of the city and Dane County.
"I want to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of Dr. Bean, Mark Coyne and Steve Lipperer," Cieslewicz said.
Dr. Darren Bean served as a Med Flight physician, the emergency department director of ultrasound, member of the multidisiplinary hospital trauma committee, and executive board member of the Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC), according to the hospital website.
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