NTSB eyes engine failure in Chicago medical helicopter crash

CHICAGO – Investigators say a medical helicopter might have had both engines fail just before it crashed along a major highway on Chicago’s south side earlier this month.

The three crew members on board were injured in the July 7 crash, as the helicopter landed upright along Interstate 57 near its junction with I-94.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report says the helicopter took off from Hobart, Indiana, and was about 5 miles from Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn when the pilot tried to turn for the Gary, Indiana, airport and soon declared “mayday.”

The Chicago Tribune reports that a flight nurse was seriously hurt, while the pilot and paramedic suffered minor injuries. The patient wasn’t hurt in the crash but was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com