The crew killed when an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter crashed in Owen County Monday evening was identified.
Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken and James Welsh were flying to pick up a patient when the helicopter went down, the Kentucky State Patrol told WCPO.com.
The crash was reported near Owen County High School just after 5:30 p.m., according to WLWT.com.
Resident Jay Thomas said he heard a thump when the helicopter crashed.
"I know there's going to be a lot of sad moments for their family," Thomas told WCPO. "I know friends and family from the community, from the local area, I will be praying for y'all."
"Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to share that three crew members from AEL base 133 perished in a helicopter accident in Owenton, Kentucky today," a statement from by the company read.
The crew, from the Williamstown, KY, base, was enroute to an incident scene.
"This was a terribly tragic accident, and our deepest sympathies go out to the employees’ families and friends," a Air Evac Lifeteam spokesperson said. "Our primary focus now is on supporting the families who were impacted as well as our team members. Critical incident stress management teams have been sent to assist our team members during this difficult time."
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were dispatched to investigate the crash and expect to have preliminary findings withing 30 days.
