A veteran flight nurse, Susan “Suzie” Smith, has died from injuries sustained when the medical helicopter she was aboard crashed onto Highway 50 in Sacramento. She had been identified among the three crew members on board and was reportedly in critical and unstable condition following the accident. Her employer, REACH Air Medical Services, confirmed her passing late Friday evening.
A Long Career of Service and Compassion
REACH said that healthcare communities would remember Suzie as a pillar of the EMS and healthcare community who saved countless lives by providing compassionate care during patients’ darkest hours. The organization noted her 50-year nursing career, including nearly 21 years with REACH.
Colleagues and friends recalled that Suzie was known for her steady hands, kind heart, and unwavering commitment to patient care. Some remembered how she would kneel to meet children at eye level to help them feel comfortable. Others highlighted her humanitarian work beyond California — particularly in remote communities in Nicaragua, where she helped support free cleft-palate surgeries for children.
Family and Loved Ones Mourn Her Loss
Suzie is survived by her husband, son, two sisters, and a brother. Her son said on social media that although the family held her as she passed, her legacy was far from over. He shared that she had never let the constant proximity to death harden her heart; instead, she chose to spend her time helping others and building communities.
Crash Under Investigation — Early Findings Point to Power Loss
A preliminary review of the helicopter involved — an Airbus EC-130 T2 operated by REACH — indicated the aircraft experienced a power loss shortly after takeoff from UC Davis Medical Center. It reportedly began autorotating toward Highway 50 before the rotor struck the ground near a residential garage, and the aircraft crashed onto the eastbound lanes.
Investigators continue examining the fuselage and rotor damage. The other two crew members — the pilot and a paramedic — survived and are recovering.
Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues, former patients, and community members whose lives she touched across five decades of service.
