A medical helicopter belonging to Pafford EMS crashed Sunday night in Arkansas County, close to the city of DeWitt, leaving all three crew members dead. Dewitt sits approximately 60 miles southeast of Little Rock. The helicopter reportedly did not have a patient on board.
Of the three killed one man, John “Trey” Auld III was from Shreveport, Louisiana. According to KSLA before working for Pafford Auld was a volunteer firefighter. Auld was also a member of the Krewe of Centaur and was recently made the Krewe’s Duke of Fun.
On a Facebook post made Sunday night, Pafford officials said “Pafford is devastated by the sudden loss of three of our team members. At this time we have no words, only prayers for the families and loved ones involved.”
FAA officials have confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident, and stated that “it typically takes several months of detailed investigation before the NTSB determines the probably cause of any accident.”
The NTSB did confirm that the helicopter was a Bell B407, and that is went down Sunday night shortly after 8 p.m. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation, with assistance from investigators with the FAA and local law enforcement.