Nevada medical flight crash that killed five outside Reno is fourth incident in recent years: NTSB

A aesculapian carrier formation that collapsed successful a mountainous area of bluish Nevada, sidesplitting each 5 group connected board, marks nan 4th incident pinch nan flight’s operator, Guardian Flight, that nan National Transportation Safety Board has investigated successful caller years, nan agency said Sunday.  

The 5 group connected committee nan Pilatus PC-12 included a pilot, a formation nurse, a formation paramedic, a patient, and a patient’s family, NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg confirmed. 

Pilatus PC-12 connected final-approach. (aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The 3 different level crashes operated by Utah-based Guardian Flight included 2 King Airs – 1 complete Alaska and different complete Hawaii – that each resulted successful 3 fatalities. The Hawaii clang remains nether investigation, while nan Alaska lawsuit is "undetermined."  

NTSB is besides investigating different clang successful Arizona that progressive a "loss of control," but nary injuries, nary fatalities, and nary harm to nan aircraft. 

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The Pilatus PC-12 near Reno, Nevada headed for Salt Lake City, Utah, astir 9 p.m. PST Friday and collapsed astir 9:14 p.m., Landsberg said. 

The flight was cleared for 25,000 feet and nan highest it attained was 19,000 feet. The past radar return was astir 11,000 feet. 

Evidence gathered indicates nan craft collapsed isolated earlier hitting nan ground, Landsberg said, adding that astir of nan pieces person been recovered. Some of those pieces, he said, were recovered astir half to three-quarters of a mile from nan wreckage. 

The craft did not person immoderate formation information recorders connected it aliases cockpit sound recorders – nor was it required to, Landsberg said. 

"This is thing that nan NTSB would for illustration to spot nan [Federal Aviation Administration] require connected these airplanes," Landsberg said.

An investigative squad will stay connected segment for respective days to comb nan area for parts of nan craft and stitchery "perishable evidence." 

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Landsberg said nan NTSB will merchandise a preliminary study successful astir 2 weeks. A probable origin – nan last study – will apt not beryllium released for different 12 to 18 months, Landsberg said. 

The clang occurred amid a wintertime large wind informing issued by nan National Weather Service successful Reno for ample swaths of Nevada, including parts of Lyon County. It was snowing steadily pinch winds astir 20 mph pinch gusts up to 30 mph.

Visibility was nether 2 miles pinch a unreality ceiling astir 2,000 feet supra crushed erstwhile nan formation near Reno and went down, according to nan upwind service.

The agrarian organization is location to astir 2,500 residents and is located astir 45 miles southeast of Reno.

The Lyon County Sheriff's agency said authorities began receiving calls astir nan clang adjacent Stagecoach, Nevada, astir 9:15 p.m. and recovered nan wreckage 2 hours later.

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Care Flight, a work of REMSA Health successful Reno and Guardian Flight, said it was halting each flights and will activity pinch each of its operations to find erstwhile it will return to service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.