HARTFORD, Illinois — A medical helicopter crashed Thursday night in Hartford, Illinois. All three crew members survived the crash and were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
The ARCH Air Medical helicopter crashed across the street from the Hartford Fire Department.
According to FAA data shown on the flight tracking website FlightAware, the helicopter was based at ARCH’s Granite City base, which is where it took off from earlier Thursday night en route to Hartford.
A spokesperson from ARCH’s parent company Air Methods said “at around 9 p.m., the ARCH 1 crew from Granite City, IL, was involved in an incident as they were departing from a local fire station. All three crew members on board have been transported to local hospitals for evaluation. We continue to support our teammates and are working with the authorities in support of the investigation.” The spokesperson did not mention if any crew members were physically hurt.
A social media post from the Hartford Fire Department at around 6:30 p.m. said “the department will be hosting ARCH Medical this evening for training. They will be landing a helicopter this evening in the empty lot across Date Street. Please do not be alarmed, this is for training purposes only.”
On social media, state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, 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.”
