Pilot, paramedic, nurse taken to hospital after a medical helicopter crash in North Carolina

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Three people were taken to a hospital after a medical helicopter crashed in a wooded area near a North Carolina airport, officials said.

The three team members who were on the AirLink helicopter on Monday night were taken for evaluation. No patients were on board, Novant Health said in a statement.

The team consisted of a pilot, a critical care registered nurse and a critical care paramedic, Novant Health said in another statement released later Tuesday. They were in fair condition Tuesday evening, Novant Health said.

The Eurocopter EC-135 helicopter crashed near Wilmington International Airport around 7:50 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The helicopter had left Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington to return to its base at Albert J. Ellis Airport in the Richlands area of Onslow County, Novant Health said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

“We are deeply grateful for the compassionate care and swift response demonstrated by area first responders and our team members following the recent helicopter incident,” the health care company's statement said.