OWENTON, Ky. — Community members are reacting to the Oct. 7 helicopter crash in Owenton, Kentucky, which is about an hour south of Covington. 

What You Need To Know

  • An Air Evac Lifeteam medical helicopter crashed Oct. 7, 2024, in Owenton, Kentucky 

  • Three people were on board and died in the crash; they were crew members based out of Grant County 

  • The Federal Aviation Administration said the helicopter hit a guy-wire, causing the plane to crash and cause a fire 

  • The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating why the helicopter hit the wire, which could take more than a year 

The Federal Aviation Administration released its initial report Tuesday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will look at the helicopter, the pilot and the environment to determine the crash's cause. 

Something the board said it's investigating is the height and angle of the sun. The crash happened behind Mexican restaurant Amigo and a couple houses. 

“They heard a (helicopter) coming and then they (heard) an explosion ... they (ran) down by the lake to see what happened," said Ernesto Hernandez, owner of Amigo. 

The FAA said the Air Evac Lifeteam medical helicopter was picking up a patient when it hit a guy-wire and came crashing down, causing a fire. It could be heard down the street.

“I heard a 'thump' sound, but I didn’t actually see it ... didn't think nothing of it out of the ordinary for being out here,” said Jay Thomas, Owenton resident.

AEL said the crew on board was based out of Grant County. Kentucky State Police identified them as Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken and James Welsh and added it's investigating their deaths. 

“It's a tragedy for the entire community, for their families, their friends and the community as a whole because each day, they go out and they serve the community to try to help other people,” said Kentucky State Police Post 5 Trooper Chad Johnson. 

The NTSB and the FAA are investigating what caused the helicopter to crash into the guy-wire. The NTSB said when the pilot was hired six years ago, he had 17,000 total hours of flight experience and multiple types of ratings for both airplanes and helicopters.

“I feel sorry for the families, but at the same time, too, I feel blessed because (it was) close to the patio,” Hernandez said.

The NTSB will be on the ground investigating for days, but the cause of the crash could take more than a year.

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