OWENTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report detailing the tragic crash of an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter on September 7, in Owenton, Kentucky, which resulted in the fatalities of a pilot, a flight nurse, and a flight medic. According to the report, the helicopter collided with a guy wire from a 601-foot tall television tower while attempting to land. The collision occurred as the pilot was circling a landing zone near a local high school to wait for it to be prepared. Witnesses, according to the report, observed the helicopter approaching at low altitude without any noticeable issues before it struck the guy wire, leading to a catastrophic sequence where the helicopter and its main rotor descended separately to the ground. The NTSB noted that the helicopter was flying towards the tower from the northeast and had the setting sun potentially affecting the pilot’s visibility. The helicopter, built in 1990, was equipped with advanced navigation and safety systems, but still suffered from severe damage upon impact which included the destruction of its avionics and the separation of critical flight components, the reported noted. An investigation into the exact dynamics of the crash, including a detailed examination of the wreckage, is ongoing. Killed in the crash were pilot Gale “Butch” Alleman, flight nurse Bethany Aicken, and flight paramedic James Welsh. Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: Air Evac Lifeteam, Crash, Helicopter, Kentucky, local news, News, NTSB, Owen County, Owenton, preliminary report