Last Air Angels crash in Fox Valley 5 years ago

The last fatality involving the Air Angels in the Fox Valley occurred in January 2003, when a pilot refueling an Air Angels helicopter crashed at DuPage Airport in West Chicago.

The pilot, 52-year-old Michael Russell of Waukegan, apparently had just refueled and was flying the helicopter to another site at the airport, authorities said.

Russell was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, near Fabyan Parkway just south of Route 38.

The National Transportation Safety Board safety investigator based at DuPage Airport said Russell had just refueled at the airport and was taking the helicopter back to its home base at the airport when the aircraft crashed in a farm field just south of the airport at 8:53 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2003.

A crew had just completed a mission in the helicopter, which was refueled at the airport, the NTSB said. The mission was flown by a different pilot, and Russell then took over as pilot and was to fly the refueled craft to the other side of the airport to its base.

Witnesses reported seeing a flash of light in the area of the crash.

Weather might have played a factor in the event. At the time of the crash, visibility was four miles, with a slight mist in the air. There were scattered clouds at 700 feet, and it was overcast at 7,000 feet.

The NTSB said no "anomalies" were reported in the Italian-made Agusta 109 Charlie helicopter, which was certified in 1989.

Russell was an experienced pilot, with a reported 12,000 air miles logged, according to the Air Angels. He had 1,200 air miles logged as a civilian pilot, the NTSB said, and "significant military hours."

Friends said Russell had resigned and was making his last flight for Air Angels when the crash occurred.