A flight paramedic with no pilot training was forced to take control of a Vanderbilt LifeFlight helicopter when the pilot became unresponsive during a medical emergency, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The November 8 crash killed 55-year-old Vanderbilt flight nurse Allan Williams and seriously injured the pilot and flight paramedic Andrew Sikes after the pilot suffered a medical emergency mid-flight.
The crew was initially headed to Rutherford County, but the request was canceled barely 10 minutes into the flight. The pilot turned the aircraft around to return to base, but that’s when Sikes told investigators he noticed the pilot stopped acknowledging him…