4 killed in Calif. medical helicopter crash
Four people were killed when a medical helicopter crashed during a short flight to a California hospital on Thursday, local fire officials said.
Debris from the SkyLife 4 helicopter was found north of the city of Bakersfield about 30 minutes after it was reported missing after taking off from an airport in Fresno, the Kern County Fire Department said.
There were four people onboard and no survivors, a spokesman said.
Rain and foggy weather slowed the search for the debris, NBC affiliate KGET reported.
The four victims were the pilot, a nurse, a paramedic and a patient, the station said, citing local emergency officials.
The patient was being taken to San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield, it said.
The aircraft was a Bell 407 and was reported overdue by its owner, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The cause of the crash was not known.