All three crew and an infant patient passenger survived a crash of an Air Methods Airbus EC135 yesterday afternoon on church grounds in eastern Pennsylvania. Witnesses said the pilot appeared to be attempting an emergency landing shortly before 1 p.m. local time when the light-twin helicopter skidded across a nearby road and then came to rest on its side in two pieces up against a wall of the Drexel Hill United Methodist Church in Upper Darby in suburban Philadelphia.
The local police superintendent characterized the outcome as a “miracle,” while accident witnesses credited the pilot for missing nearby automobiles and powerlines. The helicopter was being operated for the LifeNet program in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Air Methods called the accident “unfortunate” and declined to provide further details, citing its ongoing cooperation with the FAA and NTSB on the subsequent investigation.