MADISON COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A motorcade escorted the bodies of the three Mississippi medical helicopter crash victims on Tuesday, March 11.

The bodies were transported from the Madison County Coroner’s Office to the State Crime Lab.

The three victims died when the helicopter crashed in a heavily wooded area south of the Natchez Trace Parkway and north of Pipeline Road on Monday, March 10.

Officials with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) said two UMMC employee crew members and a Med-Trans pilot were on board the AirCare helicopter at the time of the crash. No patient was on board.

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at UMMC, said AirCare 3, based in Columbus, had flown to the Medical Center to transport a patient and was returning to Columbus when the accident occurred about 12:30 p.m.

“Our most immediate step is trying to support the families involved, the families of the individuals that lost their lives today, as well as the families here at work who cared about these healthcare professionals,” said Woodward.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash.