LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's been a week of mourning for the families and friends of the three people killed aboard a medical helicopter that crashed in Owen County, Kentucky.
The pilot Gale Alleman, the flight nurse Bethany Aicken, and the flight medic James Welsh made up the air medical transport crew on its way from Grant County to pick up a patient.
In his Team Kentucky update, Gov. Andy Beshear sent his condolences to those grieving.
"We're certainly thinking about them, praying for their families, and [we] will stand with them," Beshear said. "If you know any of these families, make sure you wrap your arms around them. They're going to need you in the days and the weeks -- the months and the years to come."
Aicken, a UofL grad, has roots in Louisville as a former ICU nurse at Norton Hospital downtown.
Many of her former colleagues shared their memories of her with WHAS11, including ICU pulmonary intensivist Dr. Sonja Compton.
"I know that in these last months she had finally found her place, her people, her job, her career and that she was really happy. My heart is broken for her family, her partner, her air-evac team. But also for all the future lives that will never get to know her beautiful light," Compton said. "Bethany is one of the best nurses I've ever worked with."
Cheryl, an NP, said, "Her smile, as of late, is what I will always remember about her. She taught me that we have endless growth potential and that laughter is the key to enjoying this growth. We will miss Bethany."
WHAS11 also talked to Brian Johnson, vice president of the Kentucky Air Medical Association.
"They deserve all the recognition and respect," he said of air medical transport personnel. "They are extremely dedicated, you know, we're out here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All the big holidays, everything."
The tragic news hit Johnson and so many others in the gut.
"We were deeply saddened. Our most sincere condolences to those impacted," he said.
A former aircraft technician himself, Johnson described the people who work in this field -- which can be a dangerous one -- as selfless.
As for the chopper that crashed, the NTSB identified it as a type of Bell 206 model, similar to the one shown on the Air Evac Lifeteam website. It's listed as more than 42 feet long and it can go as high as 20,000 feet.
Investigators are looking into the guy-wire supporting a communications tower in Owenton, which the FAA believes the helicopter hit before crashing.
On Wednesday, the NTSB began removing the broken parts of the helicopter. Authorities say the investigation could take at least a year to complete.
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