An air ambulance on its way to Williston from Bismarck crashed late Sunday night northwest of Mandan.
Three people were killed – including the pilot, a paramedic and a registered nurse. The twin engine Cessna was operated by Metro Area Ambulance of Bismarck.
Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirschmeier said he got a call about 11 pm Sunday night.
"We did receive a call of a missing aircraft," Kirschmeier said. "They did have the aircraft on radar. It went missing, and they had no further contact with it."
Kirschmeier said the Civil Air Patrol and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center were able to provide the radar track of the plane. He said cell phone forensics were used. And Kirschmeier said that led authorities to the crash site – and debris field -- just east of ND 25.
"It's basically a pasture and some crop land," Kirschmeier said. "It's not easy land to access, because of ravines and trees."
Lt. Col. Sean Johnson of the Civic Air Patrol said the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center provided valuable information on where to find the crash site.
"They gave us an analysis of the radar track," Johnson said. "Based on that analysis, and I'm not saying this is what happened, but at around 14,000 feet the aircraft appeared to have broken up."
Johnson said the cell phone forensics were very accurate to tell the County Sheriff where to go to search.
Kirschmeyer said the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating. He said all three victims will undergo autopsies. The names of the three will not be released until relatives are notified.
