June 28 – The pilot and a flight nurse were killed early Friday morning when the North Memorial air medical helicopter they were in crashed at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. The victims were identified as Tim McDonald, pilot, and flight nurse Deb Schott. The flight medic, Scott Duda, was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Brainerd with unknown injuries, although authorities said he was talking at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred around 1:00 a.m. There were no patients aboard the aircraft at the time. The helicopter was reportedly returning from a call.
