3 dead in helicopter crash near Reno

RENO, Nevada (AP) - A medical helicopter crashed early Saturday north of Reno near the Nevada-California state line, killing three crew members aboard, officials said.

The helicopter, an Aerospatiale AS350, crashed about 29 miles northwest of Reno in Lassen County, Calif., around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

All three people aboard were killed.

The helicopter had dropped off a patient at a Reno hospital and was returning to its base in Susanville, Calif., Gregor said. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash and fire. The cause of the crash wasn't known.

Gregor said the pilot was not communicating with air traffic controllers at the time of the accident. FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on the scene Saturday.

The helicopter was operated by Mountain Lifeflight out of Susanville, Gregor said. The company issued a brief statement confirming the loss of all three crew members aboard the helicopter.

It was the second fatal crash of a Mountain Lifeflight helicopter returning to Susanville after dropping off a patient at Renown Medical Center in Reno.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, a Eurocopter AS-350B operated by the company crashed into Honey Lake, about 11 miles southeast of the company's Susanville base, on March 21, 2002. NTSB investigators determined the pilot failed to maintain altitude and said the smooth surface of the water contributed to pilot disorientation.

The pilot died in the crash and two crew members were seriously injured.