Only preliminary details were available about a crash in Macon County involving a medical helicopter transporting a patient. According to Macon County Emergency Services, three crew members were enroute to Mission Hospital in Asheville with a patient when it crashed in Burningtown Thursday evening. The crash shutdown a busy roadway as a result of the wreck. Four people onboard the helicopter miraculously walked away alive. One crew member and three other people on board were injured. The crew member was released from the hospital and the other three people were being treated for minor to moderate injuries, according to a statement posted on Facebook on Friday. Authorities were on the scene Friday sifting through the wreckage to determine the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating with the National Transportation Safety Board.
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FRANKLIN, N.C. (AP) – The emergency helicopter transport service involved in the accident announced Friday that it has suspended all operations until crews feel ready to return to service and safety is ensured. LIFE FORCE Air Medical, which is operated by Erlanger Health System, said in a statement posted on Facebook, that the service will still accept patients via air medical transport and it was working with other air medical providers while the program is grounded.
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