A medical helicopter reportedly crashed on Chicago’s South Side Saturday (July 7, 2018) about 9:15 p.m., injuring four people, including a patient in critical condition who was on board.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are looking into the crash that occurred in a grassy area just off where Interstate 94 and Interstate 57 merge near Chicago’s Fernwood neighborhood. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified.
Chicago Fire Deputy District Chief Walter Schroeder told the media that one patient in the helicopter was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and the three crew members were transported in stable condition.
Schroeder also said the pilot issued a mayday call before the crash, but the exact cause is not yet known. The helicopter is reported to be a Eurocopter 135 air ambulance, and the wreckage could be seen in media reports as the investigation continues.
ABC7 News reported that the helicopter was headed to the airport in Gary, Indiana. Witnesses told the reporter that they saw the medvac spiraling to the ground on fire before the crash.
Northbound lanes on I-57 and southbound lanes on I-94 remained closed Sunday afternoon as police investigated, state police told the press.