At least 1 killed in firefighting helicopter crash near Florida airport, and 3 are missing
A Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a firefighting training exercise near a Central Florida airport, killing at least one person, officials said.
Crews on Wednesday were still searching through the debris to find the other three who are presumed dead, according to Leesburg police and fire-rescue.
The helicopter, which was reportedly a Sikorsky UH-60, crashed Tuesday afternoon into a marsh near Leesburg International Airport in Lake County, about an hour from Orlando. The Federal Aviation Administration said there were four people in the helicopter.
So far, one of the bodies have been recovered. Leesburg Police Capt. Joe Iozzi told the Miami Herald that the wooded, swampy area has made it difficult for rescue crews to reach and search the crash site.
The helicopter belonged to Brainerd/Firehawk Helicopters, a private company that does contract firefighting and is based at the airport, police said. It frequently does training exercises in the area.
The company has previously worked with the Florida Forrest Service Withlacoochee Forestry Center, which serves Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Pasco and Sumter counties. On Wednesday, the center said it was “saddened by the loss” of the crew.
“We greatly appreciated their service and the peace of mind they gave our firefighters when they arrived on scene. RIP,” the center said in a statement on Twitter.
Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears that the helicopter went into a tailspin, and at some point, its tail separated, according to WKMG, a TV station in the Orlando area. The helicopter’s tail was found on the airport runway, with the rest of its body in the marsh.
Iozzi said that the victims names will not be released until family is notified and the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board complete their preliminary investigation of the crash.
This article will be updated.
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 9:21 AM.
