RE: Medical Helicopter Crash on San Reservation

[Guest guest]

A medical helicopter made a hard landing at an airport on a central Arizona

Indian reservation.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Police spokesman Warren Youngman said two people

were aboard the rotorcraft. Both were alive when they were airlifted to

Phoenix-area hospitals for medical treatment.

The Aerospatiale 350 model helicopter took off from Gateway Airport

in Mesa. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot

lost control while landing at the airfield near the community of San

about 7:30 p.m.

The chopper belonged to EMS transportation provider Native Air and was

substantially damaged in the accident.

This was a training flight and there were no patients aboard the helicopter.

The San Apache Reservation covers sprawling area along US 70 between

Globe and Safford.