A medical helicopter crashed on the main highway in Sacramento, California, on the evening of October 6, 2025, leaving all three crew members critically injured.
The Sacramento Fire Department confirmed in a statement that the Airbus H130 helicopter, registered as N414RX, went down shortly after taking off from UC Davis Med Center at approximately 19:00 local time on eastbound Highway 50, just west of 59th Street in Sacramento.
The crashed aircraft belongs to REACH Air Medical Services, a company that offers emergency air medical transport for critically ill and injured patients.
When emergency crews arrived, they found three victims, all of whom were in the helicopter during the crash, in critical condition, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.
Sacramento Fire Captain Justin Sylvia informed reporters at the scene that the injured included a nurse, a paramedic, and a pilot. One victim was rescued after being trapped underneath the helicopter.
“The captain immediately sequestered the help of just civilians that were standing around. “They were able to lift part of that helicopter out and get that victim out,” Sylvia said.
He also mentioned that there was a fairly large debris field, noting it was “extremely lucky” that there were not more casualties.
The Sacramento Fire Department added that no vehicles were involved in the crash, only the helicopter. The department’s video footage on X shows the helicopter upside down across several lanes, surrounded by debris.
Helicopter Crash
US HWY 50 at 59th St.
Crews responded to a helicopter down on EB US50 West of 59th St. On arrival, 3 victims from the aircraft were located in critical condition. No vehicles were involved, just the helicopter. pic.twitter.com/dXPyGQ5cEl
— Sacramento Fire Department (@SacFirePIO) October 7, 2025
In a statement on Facebook, REACH Air Medical Services acknowledged the accident involving its helicopter and expressed that it is “keeping all those impacted in [the company’s] thoughts and prayers”.
“We are in the process of determining the details of this situation, as well as the condition of the REACH crew involved, who were all taken to area hospitals,” the company said. “We will continue to provide information as it becomes available. There was no patient on board.”
The crash caused traffic disruptions, with eastbound lanes temporarily blocked, according to Officer Michael Harper, a California Highway Patrol spokesman. As of October 7, 2025, no traffic restrictions are reported in the area.
The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, but authorities said that they will investigate, cautioning against drawing early conclusions.
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