Nevada Medical Flight Crash Kills Five; Plane Allegedly Broke Apart Midair

Five people, including a patient, were killed when a medical transport flight crashed in a mountainous area of northern Nevada, authorities said Sunday, stating that the plane broke up before it hit the ground.

A seven-person crew from the National Transportation Safety Board is currently at the Nevada medical flight crash site near Stagecoach, where the incident occurred on Friday night, AP reports.

"How do we know if the airplane broke up in flight? We found parts of the airplane one-half to three-quarters of a mile away" from the crash scene, said NTSB Vice Chair Bruce Landsberg at a news briefing in Carson City.

A team spent the entire day looking for pieces of the crashed Care Flight plane, according to Landsberg's afternoon briefing.

Investigators are currently on the scene of a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 (built in 2002) and will remain there for several days to determine what caused the crash.

"Right now, we just don't know. This is like a three-dimensional puzzle," Landsberg said, adding that it is harder when the pieces are scattered everywhere.

A winter storm warning had been issued by the National Weather Service in Reno for much of Nevada, including portions of Lyon County, at the time of the accident. Snowfall was consistent, with wind speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour.

Life-Saving Flight Turns Into Tragedy

A potential plane crash was reported to Lyon County Sheriff dispatchers at 9:45 p.m., shortly before the Care Flight fixed-wing aircraft disappeared from flight radar near Stagecoach.

Rescue workers had to search for the crashed Care Flight plane for about 90 minutes before they found it in the small town 45 miles southeast of Reno, according to the New York Post.

"We are heartbroken to report that we have now received confirmation from Central Lyon County Fire Department that none of the five people on board survived," Reno-based medical flight service operator, REMSA Health, said Saturday.

A pilot, nurse, paramedic, patient, and his wife were the five passengers of the Care Flight plane.

The families of the victims have provided some details about the plane accident that officials have not made public.

Mark "Bear" Rand was traveling to have a life-saving medical treatment in Utah with his wife, Terri, according to the GoFundMe page created by his loved ones.

"What was supposed to be a saving grace ended in tragedy for the Rand family and the families of the crew and first responders on board," said the post.

Other Nevada Medical Flight Crash Victims Identified

The victim's families' GoFundMe campaigns have been validated, the crowdfunding platform reports, said KOLO News.

Savanah Green revealed that Ryan Watson became a dad in January. The flying paramedic is an exceptional caregiver who gives his all to his patients and his family and friends, according to Green.

"Ryan loved being a Flight Medic and brought a positive attitude to every call and patient interaction he had," the fundraiser reads.

Scott Walton, the pilot who died at the Nevada medical flight crash, has three daughters. Scott's absolute passion and life's mission was transporting patients to receive life-saving treatment, said his sister-in-law, Katie Maguire Walton.

Ed Pricola was a flight nurse, and his wife and children will benefit from the fundraiser organized by Kleine Calvo.

Calvo stated that the 32-year-old nurse had begun his journey with the Care Flight plane the previous autumn. He was survived by his wife of 20 years, Lauren, and their two daughters.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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