Dead Goose Found Inside Medical Helicopter After Crash That Killed 3: NTSB Report
The "carcasses of several geese" were also found near the crash site, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board
Multiple dead geese were found at the site of a medical helicopter crash in Oklahoma where three people died in January, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board
The victims were previously identified by Air Evac Lifeteam as pilot Russell Haslam, flight nurse Adam Tebben and medic Steven FitzGerald
Each of the victims was expecting to celebrate their birthdays in the coming months, according to their obituaries
Multiple dead geese was found in and around the medical helicopter that crashed in Oklahoma last month, according to officials.
The Bell 206L-3 helicopter went down on Jan. 20 after dropping off a patient at the Mercy Health Center Heliport in Oklahoma City, per a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board that was obtained by PEOPLE.
The crew was returning to its home base, Air Evac 112 Heliport in Weatherford, just before 11:30 p.m. local time when the aircraft crashed in an open pasture more than a mile east of Hydro.
The helicopter “was substantially damaged” in the crash, according to the NTSB. Air Evac Lifeteam previously identified the fatally-injured victims as pilot Russell Haslam, flight nurse Adam Tebben and medic Steven FitzGerald.
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The "carcasses of several geese" were found near the crash site, as well. The NTSB said multiple carcasses were found throughout the debris field, including one that was “embedded in a flight control servo.”
The U.S. Air Force’s Avian Hazard Advisory System said the probability of bird activity was “low” near the accident site at the time of the crash, according to the NTSB.
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Funerals for FitzGerald and Tebben have already been held, according to their obituaries. FitzGerald was laid to rest on Jan. 29, while a service for Tebben took place days later.
Haslam will be laid to rest on Monday, per his obituary. The former U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer was about to celebrate his 54th birthday on Feb. 9.
Both FitzGerald and Tebben were preparing to celebrate birthdays in the coming months, as well. FitzGerald, of Hydro, would have turned 48 on March 12 while Tebben, of Emporia, Kansas, would have been 36 in April.
A memorial service for the three men killed in the crash will be held at 1 p.m. local time Tuesday at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center in Weatherford, according to AEL.
The NTSB’s investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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