Four people escaped the wreckage of an Airbus H135 air ambulance with only minor injuries after it crashed into a busy street west of Philadelphia Jan. 11 in what local officials are calling a “miracle.”
The helicopter, operated by Hagerstown, Maryland-based LifeNet 8-1, an Air Methods affiliate, was en route to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) around 1 p.m. when it went down in front of Drexel Hill United Methodist Church in Upper Darby, just west of Philadelphia, according to reports.
No one outside the helicopter was injured when it crashed. The infant patient was taken by ground ambulance to CHOP. In a press conference, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt echoed other officials calling the lack of casualties miraculous.
“It’s a miracle, it’s an absolute miracle, here what you see behind me,” Bernhardt said.
Photos emerged online of the H135 lying on its side, resting against the corner of a stone church with its tail boom broken and its enclosed Fenestron tail rotor folded the wrong direction against the fuselage. In what local officials are calling a “miracle landing,” the pilot, co-pilot flight nurse and an infant patient all escaped the helicopter with minor injuries.
Upper Darby police said they received word of the crash at 12:56 p.m. Police, the township’s fire department and paramedics responded to the scene, which was “quickly secured and made safe,” the police said in a Twitter post. “At this time, there are no reported injures to the public, responders, and only minor injuries to one of the helicopter crew members. Federal authorities were notified and are handling the investigation.”
Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Zabel posted a photo of the wreckage to Twitter, calling the event an “absolute miracle.”
Air Methods confirmed it owns the EC135 (now H135) operated by LifeNet 8-1, which “experienced an accident,” on Jan. 11.
“Today an Air Methods owned aircraft experienced an accident in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The EC135 aircraft in question was from the LifeNet program, based out of Hagerstown, Maryland,” Doug Flanders, vice president of communications at Air Methods said in an emailed statement.
“There were no fatalities associated with this accident and the patient and crew are receiving medical evaluation. The FAA and NTSB have been made aware of this incident and investigators are en route to assess the situation. Our team will cooperate fully with their efforts to assess the cause of this unfortunate accident. Privacy rights with regards to those on board the aircraft will be honored, and we will not be sharing any additional information.”
