Highway 50 Helicopter Crash Critically Injures Three

A REACH Air Medical Services H130 helicopter crashed onto eastbound Highway 50 in Sacramento Monday night after departing UC Davis Medical Center, closing the freeway near 59th Street and the State Route 99 junction. The single-engine H130, registered N414RX and built in 2021, was carrying three crew—a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic—and no patient; all three were critically injured and taken to area hospitals. Bystanders rushed to the wreck, helping lift the helicopter and pull a trapped crew member free before firefighters arrived, and Sacramento Fire Capt. Justin Sylvia said all three victims were transported within about 20 minutes. The aircraft’s crash-resistant fuel system reportedly prevented a post-crash fire. The California Highway Patrol, FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause and coordinating removal of the wreckage, and video and aerial footage documented the large emergency response; the incident remains under active investigation.