Three Dead After Medical Helicopter Crash
SOMERVILLE, Tenn. – Two hospital workers and a pilot were killed when a medical helicopter crashed in Somerville, Tuesday morning. “This is an incredibly sad day for us,” Jay Pershad, M.D., said. “All three of these crew members are personal friends of mine,” Hospital Wing CEO Bill Conway said. “We’re a very close-knit family here at LeBonheur and with our crews at Hospital Wing.” The hospital identified those killed as pilot Charles Smith, 47, registered nurse Carrie Barlow, 43, and respiratory therapist Denise Adams, also 43. Authorities began searching for the helicopter when it did not respond during a routine check-in around 6:20 a.m.. “They went to pick up a young child that was in renal failure as I understood,” Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital president and CEO Mary Armour said. “He was not on the flight. They were in route to get him.” Fayette County Investigator Ray Garcia said the nature of the crash, and its location about a mile and a half into the woods off of Highway 64, will make this a time-consuming investigation. “Within a day or so, they will have finished up everything on the scene,” Investigator Garcia said. “And from there, there is no telling how long it will take to recreate what happened and to determine what caused the flight to go down.” The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are assisting in this ongoing investigation.
