We had recently reported the tragic death of veteran medical flight pilot Patrick Mahany, who was also a war veteran. His life was unfortunately snuffed off when the medical flight he was flying came crashing in a parking lot in Frisco, Colorado, just minutes after take off. Here we bring you a few details of this medical flight pilot who laid down his life on the line of duty.
Mahany was an Expert Medical Flight Pilot
Mahany had been with Flight for Life since 27 years. He was also the recipient of Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his contributions to the country in the 1971 Vietnam War. He was described as a man with Irish demeanor, a jovial person and most importantly a very talented pilot who was very comfortable with medical flight operations. He was looked up to by his colleagues and of course his own son.
Ryan Followed the Footsteps of his Medical Flight Pilot Father
Ryan Mahany, the son of Patrick, idolized his father and walked his footsteps. Ryan himself is an army helicopter pilot. He had been part of rescue operations in Afghanistan. As a pilot of a Black Hawk, Ryan had rescued two pilots who had crashed in the treacherous terrains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan that borders Pakistan. The same night, in a separate operation, he had rescued two stranded pilots of an Apache chopper. Ryan had been awarded Air Medal for the bravery that he had displayed. In fact, Patrick Mahany had lauded his son for his brave efforts at that point.
The Injured are Now Recovering
The paramedic and the nurse who were involved in the medical flight crash along with Patrick Mahany are reported to be recovering at the moment. No patients were onboard during the incident.
The Investigations into the Medical Flight Crash are On
Flight for Life belongs to Air Methods. An investigation behind the medical flight crash is still on and is being conducted by the FAA and NTSB. The chopper that crashed was an AS350 B3.
