State Police Medevac Crash in Maryland kills four, including two State Troopers and an EMT

Four people were killed this morning in the crash of a Maryland State Police helicopter in Prince George’s County Maryland, including two Maryland State Troopers and an EMT from the Waldorf Fire Department.\
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The Salisbury Township Fire Company #1 would like to extend our deepest condolences to all affected by this tragedy.\
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In the past, The Maryland State Police Aviation Division has provided mutual aid to units in Lancaster County, two instances of which were the Nickel Mines Amish School tragedy and in the search for a 16-year old drowning victim on the Susquehanna River.\
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***Below is the release issued by the Prince George’s County Fire Department:\
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A Maryland State Police Helicopter, with five people on-board, was the subject of an intense search by multiple public safety agencies this morning. Trooper 2, a Maryland State Police Helicopter, had been on a mission transporting two critically injured patients to a trauma center.\
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On Saturday, September 27, 2008, just minutes before 12 midnight, SYSCOM, The Maryland Statewide Communications System that provides communications among ambulances, medevac helicopters, dispatch centers, hospital emergency departments, trauma centers, specialty referral centers, and law enforcement, requested the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department to dispatch two Basic Life Support Ambulances to rendezvous with Trooper 2 at their hangar on Andrews Air Force Base. Trooper 2 had radioed in that they needed to land due to weather conditions and had 2 patients on-board that required transportation to the hospital. The two patients on-board Trooper 2 were crash victims from an incident in Charles County, MD. As is normal procedure, an EMS provider from that jurisdiction was on-board Trooper 2 assisting with patient care.\
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Trooper 2 never arrived at the rendezvous. At about 12:30 AM, Sunday, September 28, 2008, SYSCOM lost radio contact with the aircraft and an area wide search was initiated. During the search, using technology that tracks cell phone signals, an area near Walker Mill Road and Berry Lane in the Capitol Heights/Ritchie communities was identified and searched. At about 2:00 AM, a police officer located the crash site on a park trail near that intersection. As of 3:30 AM, Fire/EMS units on the scene advised of four fatalities. These include the crew of Trooper 2, an EMS provider from Charles County and one of the original crash victims. The second original crash victim, a teenaged female, survived the helicopter crash and was taken by paramedics to a nearby Trauma Center.\
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***Below is the release from the Maryland State Police:\
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FOUR FATALITIES IN STATE POLICE MEDEVAC CRASH IN PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY\
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(Forestville, MD) – Maryland State Police have confirmed the identifications of the victims from the crash involving a State Police helicopter early this morning in Prince George’s County.\
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The deceased victims are identified as Stephen H. Bunker, 59, of Waldorf, Md., the State Police pilot; Trooper First Class Mickey C. Lippy, 34, of Westminster, Md., the State Police flight paramedic; Tanya Mallard, 39, of Waldorf, an EMT-B with the Waldorf Rescue Squad; and Ashley J. Younger, 17, of Waldorf, who was a patient being transported. \
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The surviving victim of the crash is identified as Jordan A. Wells, 18, of Waldorf. Wells is currently undergoing treatment at the Prince George’s County Hospital Center. \
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At about 11:00 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police medevac helicopter, Trooper 2, was dispatched to the scene of a traffic crash in Waldorf. Trooper 2 left its hangar at the Andrews Air Force Base. It was piloted by Mr. Steven Bunker and the flight paramedic was Trooper First Class Mickey Lippy. \
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The crew flew to the crash scene and picked up two patients, Ashley Younger and Jordan Wells. Joining the crew to assist with medical care on the flight to the hospital was Tanya Mallard, who had responded to the scene with the Waldorf Rescue Squad. \
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Trooper 2 lifted off and headed to the Prince George’s Hospital Center. No call came from the helicopter crew notifying helicopter dispatch that they had landed. \
Just before 12:30 this morning, the State Police Forestville Barracks, the Prince George’s County Police, Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prince George’s County Fire Department launched a search for the helicopter. Flight following equipment was used to locate the region of the crash. The crash site was found by police officers on foot shortly before 2:00 a.m. today. The crash site is in a wooded area within the Walker Mill Regional Park, in the 8000-block of Walker Mill Road, in Forestville. \
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The four deceased victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The surviving victim was transported by ambulance to the Prince George’s Hospital Center. \
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Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified and are on the scene. Maryland State Police investigators are also on the scene and are providing any assistance necessary to the federal investigators. \
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Pilot Stephen Bunker had been with the Maryland State Police since 1972. He was a State Police corporal, who retired in 1998 and returned to service as a civilian pilot. He had flown for the Maryland State Police for more than 24 years. He was married and had three grown children. Mr. Bunker held a commercial pilot’s license and was a certified flight instructor and a certified instrument flight instructor. He also had a single engine airplane pilot’s license. \
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Trooper First Class Mickey Lippy was appointed to the Maryland State Police four years ago. He had been in the Aviation Command as a flight paramedic for since April of 2007. TFC Lippy was married. He had recently returned from family leave after the birth of his daughter, who is four months old. \
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Tanya Mallard was a dedicated member of the Waldorf Rescue Squad, at Station 12. She did not hesitate to join the crew of Trooper 2 this morning in their effort to save the lives of their two patients. She leaves behind her husband and two children.\
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The aircraft was a Eurocopter Dauphin II twin jet engine helicopter. It became a part of the State Police fleet in June 1989, and was the second helicopter purchased in the current fleet. The helicopter completed a 100-hour inspection on Wednesday, September 24th. \
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The State Police Aviation Command has grounded all aircraft for at least today. Allied partners in the U.S. Park Police, Delaware State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, and commercial medevac companies will be covering the state today with helicopter services. \
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The Maryland State Police will work diligently with federal authorities to uncover the details of what occurred this morning. Our ultimate goal is to determine what caused the crash and this tragic loss of life. \
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All calls regarding the details or cause of the crash, and any updates concerning the investigation should be directed to the National Transportation Safety Board, at 202-314-6100. \
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