Medical helicopter crash in Wis. kills doctor, nurse, pilot

update:
May 13, 4:19 PM EDT

Patient on helicopter that crashed in Wisconsin later died

By RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press Writer


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MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The patient transported by a medical helicopter that later crashed died hours after getting dropped off at a La Crosse hospital, a coroner said Tuesday.

Mary Kricke, 86, died early Sunday after suffering bleeding in her brain, Crawford County Coroner Joe Morovitz said.

The University of Wisconsin Hospital Med Flight helicopter crashed Saturday night on the way home to Madison after dropping Kricke off at Gundersen Lutheran hospital. A doctor, nurse and pilot on board were killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board continued Tuesday to investigate the accident, which happened shortly after the helicopter took off from the La Crosse airport. Preliminary reports suggest the helicopter collided with a bluff or trees but the cause is unknown.

An investigator was at the airport Tuesday studying wreckage recovered from the scene, a hilly wooded area about three miles outside the city, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said. Laying out the recovered pieces can give clues as to what caused the accident, he said.

The patient's death adds another element of sadness to a tragedy that has devastated the medical community in Madison and beyond. Until now, authorities had released little information about the circumstances requiring the flight and what happened to the patient.

"It wasn't just the three dead on the helicopter. There was actually a fourth one," Morovitz told The Associated Press. "It was a lose-lose situation all the way around."

Kricke was suffering from bleeding in her brain, possibly from a stroke or an aneurism, when she was transported from Prairie Du Chien Memorial Hospital to Gundersen Lutheran, Morovitz said.

Neither hospital would comment on Kricke or the reason for the flight Tuesday. But Morovitz said she likely needed specialty care available only at Gundersen Lutheran.

Gundersen's medical helicopter, which would usually handle the transfer, was busy responding to a fatal car crash at the time, spokesman Chris Stauffer said. Medical officials asked UW's program to help, and it agreed, he said.

Stauffer and UW Hospital spokeswoman Toni Morrissey said such requests for help are routine among the region's hospital systems.

Morovitz said Kricke died about 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

Stauffer said federal law prevented him from talking about the patient.

"Everybody is just grieving for the folks at UW Health," he said. "It's a tight-knit community of people who do what they do. Here's a situation where unfortunately a worst-case scenario has become reality. Very sad."

Local authorities hosted an honor procession in La Crosse on Tuesday for hearses carrying the bodies of Dr. Darren Bean, nurse Mark Coyne and pilot Steve Lipperer. More than 20 vehicles escorted the hearses from a funeral home to Interstate 90 to head back to Madison.

The families of Bean, 37, and Lipperer, 39, announced plans for a public memorial service Thursday night in Madison.

Holloway said the NTSB hoped to release a preliminary report on the accident with additional facts later this month. Its final report won't be complete for 12 to 18 months, he said.

we had a helicopter crash on landing at our sister hospital in Dallas.....the pilot missed the roof (some how....) and found himself dangling off the side of the building. They are in my prayers. It is amazing in an era such as ours, that we still have good people who are willing to do what it takes, even if it is risking their own lives. We tend to forget that.....or lose touch....

it was close enough Dmazment, they went down 75 miles north of us. VFR flight rules apply for the time frame in question, for general aviation. It's sad anytime a unit balls up. We can only remember the good they did.

this is tragic and brings to mind the danger some of our medical personnel put themselves in to care for others. God Bless everyone of them!