Latest news with #AshleyQuigley
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medical Helicopter Catches on Fire Before Crashing with 3 Onboard in Illinois
Three people were injured in a medical helicopter crash on Thursday, April 24, in Hartford, Ill. Before the incident, the Hartford Fire Department announced it would be hosting ARCH Medical for a Thursday training, and a helicopter would land near Date Street in Hartford. The ARCH Air Medical MBB-BK 117 helicopter had three people on board and was operating out of Granite City, Ill. The aircraft crashed around 9:20 p.m. after it took off during the Hartford Fire Department training event, per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) incident report. It was then "impacted [by] terrain for unknown reasons during the crew's return to base," per the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Multiple departments responded to the crash. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident. Ashley Quigley, a resident near the crash site, told Fox 2 the helicopter went up around a foot before it 'started hitting the trees, and stuff was flying.' Related: 3 Members of Medical Helicopter Team Killed in Crash While Flying to Help Patient: 'Heartbroken' 'It was twisting all over, all of the sudden, it came down with a big boom and started catching fire,' Quigley told the news station. 'The fire truck came around and started trying to put it out.' 'The fire went out a little bit but then it started going back up in big smoke again and they were just trying to grab the people who were on the ground, trying to help them,' she continued. 'It was literally the craziest thing I've ever seen.' All three crew members were transported to local hospitals for evaluation, ARCH Air said in a statement on Thursday. The pilot and two crew members are all in stable condition after sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, per the Hartford Fire Department's Friday, April 25 news release. Related: 3 Men Die When Medical Helicopter Crashes into Oklahoma Field After Transporting Patient Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the pilot, crew members, and their families. We appreciate the public's cooperation while the incident is being investigated. We anticipate the roadway to be open soon,' the Hartford Fire Department said. "We are aware of the terrible helicopter crash in Hartford and ask for your prayers for those injured tonight. This is a terrifying situation and we are still learning details,' Illinois State Representative Amy Elik said in a statement, per The Telegraph. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Helicopter crashes into suburban street during routine training drill
A helicopter crashed into a suburban Illinois street on Thursday night and burst into flames during a routine training session, creating a chaotic scene for onlookers. MMB-BK 117 plummeted into the street after taking off from a fire station in Hartford, which is about half an hour from St. Louis, Missouri. A pilot and two passengers were on board when the helicopter fell from the sky just after 9 pm, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed. All three were transported to a local hospital for their injuries. Video footage captured by residents in the area depicts the helicopter taking off and seemingly clipping a tree before falling to the ground. Additional video captured by witnesses show the helicopter engulfed in flames on the ground. Before the crash, the Harford Fire Department warned residents on social media that ARCH, an air medical service based in Missouri and Illinois, would be conducting a training session in an empty lot. 'Please do not be alarmed. This is for training purposes only. If you would like to see the Helicopter up close, please DO NOT approach the Helicopter without authorization from ARCH,' the statement read. 'Helicopters can be Very Dangerous and this is one of the reasons for training,' the department added. Video footage captured by residents in the area depicted the helicopter take off and then plummet to the ground after it seemingly clipped a tree ARCH later announced that the Illinois crew was involved in the incident and the crash occurred after they departed from a local fire station. 'We continue to support our teammates and are working with the authorities in support of the investigation,' the statement read. The shocking scene alarmed suburban residents in the area, who were quick to respond to the crash. Ashley Quigley, who witnessed the event and told local Fox affiliate, KTVI, '[The helicopter] went up maybe a foot, it started hitting the trees, and stuff was flying. 'It was twisting all over, all of a sudden it came down with a big boom and started catching fire.' 'The fire truck came around and started trying to put it out. The fire went out a little bit, but then it started going back up in big smoke again, and they were just trying to grab the people who were on the ground, trying to help them,' she continued. 'It was literally the craziest thing I've ever seen.' The FAA is currently investigating the incident with ARCH Air Methods, and local authorities are working to determine what led to the crash. The three crew members survived but the extent of their injuries hasn't been released.
