Click Here!
Monday, November 30, 2009Add to FacebookAdd to Twitter
FAA: Helicopter lifted off on its own with pilot clinging to side
By Anne-Margaret Swary Citizen Staff
The helicopter that crashed near Robbie's Marina Saturday afternoon reportedly lifted off on its own before crashing into the water, according to both the Federal Aviation Administration and an employee at Robbie's Marina in Islamorada.
The pilot of the helicopter, registered to G S Helicopters Inc. of Islamorada, reportedly made an emergency landing on Indian Key Historic State Park around 2:30 p.m. Saturday because he was experiencing problems with the aircraft, said Kathleen Bergen, communications manager for FAA's Southern Region.
The uninhabited, 10-acre island is located several hundred yards south of U.S. 1 near Mile Marker 78 and includes a large open lot in the center, often referred to as the old town square.
When the pilot got out to inspect the tail rotor, the helicopter reportedly started to lift off on its own, Bergen said.
An employee at Robbie's Marina said the pilot told rescuers that he ran back toward the cockpit and tried to get inside before the helicopter lifted about 50 feet to 70 feet in the air. As he held on to the side, the aircraft's erratic movements knocked him off and he fell, breaking his arm.
The helicopter crashed moments later in about four feet of water near the dock at Indian Key.
The pilot was found laying in shallow water near the edge of the coral surrounding the island.
A boat from Robbie's Marina was dispatched to bring the elderly man, whose name and exact age were unavailable, back to shore, where he was met by emergency personnel and taken to the hospital.
The helicopter, an R22 model manufactured by Robinson Helicopter Co, will be removed from the water by the U.S. Coast Guard, Bergen said. The FAA is investigating.
[email protected]
Disclamer: This story might be true I'm not sure
