Three Killed in California Medical Helicopter Crash

The helicopter departed Tuesday from Santa Rosa and stopped in Ukiah on its way to Willits, a town about 15 miles farther north.

After it set off again, the pilot decided to turn back due to poor weather conditions, said FAA spokesman Donn Walker.

The helicopter crashed in Mendocino County, about 120 miles north of San Francisco, at around 7:30 p.m. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a resulting fire, Walker said.

The three victims - the pilot and two crew - were employees of Redwood Empire Air Care Helicopter, a Santa Rosa firm that provides air ambulance services in northern California, said REACH spokesman Pat McDonald.

REACH was notifying the families of the victims Tuesday night and would not release their identities.

The crew was on its way to Willits to pick up a patient to bring to a hospital in the San Francisco Bay area, McDonald said.

The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, Walker said.

Separately, a business jet flying from California to Idaho crashed and exploded in a Mojave Desert canyon Tuesday, killing the two pilots, authorities said.

No passengers were aboard the Lear 24B twin-engine jet, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker said.