Three crew members dead after helicopter crash in Kentucky; Investigations are ongoing

OWENTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A federal investigation is underway after a fatal medical helicopter crash in northern Kentucky.

Kentucky State Police said they were called to a helicopter crash in Owenton near Kentucky Highway 22 East on Monday evening around 5:30 p.m.

On site, the emergency services were able to determine that an Air Evac flight with three crew members on board had crashed on the way to an ambulance.

The three crew members, Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken and James Welsh, were all pronounced dead by the Owen County coroner.

According to Air Evac Lifeteam, the crew is based in Grant County, Kentucky, and was en route to the scene to pick up a patient when the accident occurred.

(READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM THE AIR EVAC LIFET TEAM BELOW)

The Owenton, Owen County Fire & Owen County Rescue Departments posted on social media that the helicopter crashed near Amigos Restaurant in Owenton.

Firefighters were deployed to the scene to prevent unauthorized entry.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

This is a developing story and will be updated as we receive more information.

The Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to announce that three crew members from AEL Base 133 died in a helicopter accident in Owenton, Kentucky today.

We were notified of the accident by local law enforcement shortly after the accident.

The crew is based in Grant County, Kentucky and was en route to the scene to pick up a patient when the accident occurred.

This was a terribly tragic accident and our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of the employees.

Our main focus now is supporting the affected families and our team members. Critical incident stress management teams have been deployed to support our team members during this difficult time.

At this time we are not releasing the names of the crew members on board the flight. We ask that you respect the privacy of our team members and their families during this difficult time.

AEL will work closely with the FAA and NTSB during the investigation. We ask that you direct any questions regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident to the NTSB public affairs representative.

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