(Mason City)– A preliminary federal report suggests that icy conditions will be among the factors checked by investigators trying to determine what caused the fatal crash of a medical helicopter in northern Iowa.
The report released Wednesday didn’t include any conclusions about the crash cause. The pilot and two others on board died the night of January 2nd.
The helicopter had been headed to Emmetsburg to pick up a patient when it slammed into the ground just north of Ventura about 9:00 p.m. The report says several witnesses mentioned icy conditions at the time.
The three victims were identified as nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau, paramedic Russell Piehl and Pilot Gene Grell.
(From the Associated Press.)
