GRAND RAPIDS -- A medical helicopter crashed on the roof of a hospital Thursday, catching fire moments after the two people onboard escaped with minor injuries, a fire official said.
The pilot, a Vietnam veteran, and the passenger were listed in stable condition at the hospital, said Richard Breon, president and CEO of Spectrum Health.
No patients were onboard the helicopter, which crashed around 11 a.m. on a helipad atop Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
The chopper landed on its side and the two people onboard got out before it caught on fire, Grand Rapids Fire Chief John VanSolkema said at an afternoon news conference.
"There's not a whole lot left, but you can tell it was a helicopter," VanSolkema said.
Crash debris was found near the hospital, but there were no reports of injuries or damage on the ground.
Patients were temporarily evacuated to other buildings on the Spectrum Health campus.
"We basically believe it was practicing approaches," said Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Chicago. The FAA was investigating and the National Transportation Safety Board may investigate, Cory said.
All surgeries at the hospital temporarily were canceled, but were expected to resume later Thursday, said spokesman Bruce Rossman. Patients were evacuated from several floors of the hospital, but were returned to their rooms later in the day. None were injured, Rossman said.
Patients awaiting discharge were being held on the first floor of the hospital until roads leading to the facility were reopened to traffic other than emergency vehicles, he said.
A backup generator restored electricity, which went out after the Aero Med helicopter crash.
Kelli Wiltjer, a student aide in a Drug Enforcement Administration office nearby, said she looked out the window as the crash happened.
"The nose of the helicopter was kind of up and it almost looked like it was turning around, and then it dropped real fast," she said.
"Pieces were flying in the air" after the impact, said Wiltjer, 23.
Another witness was watching from her office in the nearby College of Nursing at Grand Valley State University, when she saw the helicopter come in from the south.
"We were standing here at the window ... and about five minutes later, we saw the black smoke," said Cheryl Borgman, 58, of Grand Rapids. "It was just a big huge billow of black smoke."
American Red Cross spokeswoman Caroline Clunk said Red Cross volunteers were setting up canteens on the scene to assist any evacuees, firefighters and other rescue workers.
Spectrum Health Butterworth, located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, is part of the largest campus of Spectrum Health, which is a nonprofit health care system based in western Michigan.
Butterworth Hospital is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in western Michigan. The hospital's emergency room was closed as a result of Thursday's crash, and patients in need of emergency medical treatment were sent to other area hospitals.
Associated Press writers Ben Leubsdorf, David Runk and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report
