Dr. Luis Bonilla and procurement technician David Hines were onboard the doomed helicopter that departed from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville to retrieve the organ in Gainesville, about 60 miles southwest, a Mayo spokesman said.
The aircraft, which was bound for the University of Florida, went down for unknown reasons about halfway through the early morning flight, the spokesman said.
The pilot of the helicopter was also killed.
The FAA and the NTSB are both investigating the crash. The helicopter was a Bell 206, owned by SK Jets. The SK website lists the Bell 206 helicopter as part of its fleet and says the helicoprter has the best safety record or any helicopter in the industry.
For more information on the Bell 206 visit: SK Jets