The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report on a medical helicopter crash in Owen County that killed all three on board reveals new details.
The three people killed in the fiery crash were Gale Alleman (pilot), Bethany Aicken (medical crew) and James Welsh (medical crew). The Air Evac Life Team was based out of Grant County.
NTSB report
The NTSB said the medical flight was requested at 5:14 p.m. Three minutes later the flight was confirmed with a 14-minute estimated time of arrival.
“Coordination between the landing zone (LZ), adjacent to a local high school, and the accident helicopter continued for several minutes while the helicopter was enroute and the LZ was properly staffed and equipped for the helicopter’s arrival,” the NTSB report states.
“At 5:24, the helicopter was advised that the requisite fire units had yet to arrive, and the pilot advised that he would ‘circle’ the LZ until it was prepared for the landing,” the NTSB reports. “At 5:29, the pilot advised that the high school was in sight, (and) that they would perform ‘a couple of recons, and then head down.’”
At 5:31, Owen County firefighters reported the helicopter had crashed.
“Several witnesses described that the helicopter approached from the north at ‘low altitude’ with no unusual sounds or movements,” according to the NTSB.
It was then that witnesses reported seeing a helicopter rotor make contact with the guy-wire attached to a 601-feet high television signal transmission tower “before it descended to ground contact.”
“Several detailed written statements described watching the helicopter strike the wire, watching the wire ‘move,’ and ‘pieces’; more specifically, the main rotor, separate from the helicopter before the helicopter and the main rotor system descended separately to the ground,” the NTSB report says.
Alleman, according to the NTSB, had 19,638 total hours of flight experience, “of which 7,791 hours were in the accident helicopter make and model.”
The helicopter, manufactured in 1990, was equipped with a two-axis autopilot, a Garmin 650 GPS, Garmin 500txi, cockpit display, synthetic vision, and Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System.
“These systems provided both visual and aural terrain and obstacle advisories to the pilot and crew,” according to the NTSB.
The most recent inspection of the helicopter was on September 16, 2024. The aircraft had 12,401 total hours.
The final NTSB accident report could take up to 18 months to be completed.
(Photo: James Welsh (top left), Bethany Aicken (top right), Gale Alleman (bottom right), courtesy of Kentucky Emergency Management)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
