All three people - a pilot and two hospital workers - aboard a medical helicopter were killed when it crashed in Mississippi on Monday (Mar 10), officials said. It was returning from transporting a patient. The helicopter crashed into a densely wooded area outside Jackson. 

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As identified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it was a Eurocopter EC-135. 

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US-based media reports mentioned that two of the people were crew members who worked for the University of Mississippi Medical Center. 

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During a press conference, Dr LouAnn Woodward, who is the medical centre's top administrator, said that the helicopter was not carrying any patients at the time of the accident.

Families of the three victims were notified, but authorities didn't release names to protect their privacy.  

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"The entire medical center family is heartbroken over this. This is the crew that responds to emergencies all across the state, and to see them today to respond to one of their own was just something that you can’t put into words," Dr Woodward said. 

Dr Woodward further mentioned that the AirCare helicopters and their crews played an integral role in providing critical care services across Mississippi. 

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What caused the crash?

So far, it's not clear what caused the aircraft to lose control. The FAA, however, said that it and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash, which occurred around 1:15 pm (local time). 

The crash comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of US air safety and becomes another addition to a string of plane crashes across the country. 

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(With inputs from agencies)