Five People Killed In Medical Plane Crash In Nevada

Five people were killed when a medical aircraft crashed in Nevada on Friday (February 24) night. The Pilatus PC-12/45 fixed-wing aircraft, which was operated by Care Flight, a service of the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority Health, went down near Stagecoach, which is about 40 miles east of Reno, around 9:15 p.m.

It took first responders about two hours to locate the wreckage of the plane.

The company said the pilot, a flight nurse, a flight paramedic, the patient, and a family member of the patient were killed in the crash.

"Our immediate focus is helping our team members and families, as well as the responding agencies," REMSA Health said in a statement. "As is Guardian and Care Flight's safety process in these situations, we are in a passive stand down for all Guardian and Care Flight flights across the company. We will work with each of our operations to ascertain when they are able to return to service."

The company did not say where the plane originated or where it was heading when it crashed.

It is unknown what caused the plane to crash, though the area was under a winter storm warning at the time. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to lead the investigation with the help of the Central Lyon Fire Department and Lyon County Sheriff's Department.