Friday, September 24, 2010
© Copyright 2013
Newton Citizen
Photo by Kristen Ralph
COVINGTON -- A DeKalb County Police Department helicopter crashed and caught fire between the two runways at Covington Municipal Airport Friday afternoon about 4:45 p.m., according to the Covington Fire Department.
A pilot and a trainee were "practicing hydraulic maneuvers" when the mishap occurred, according to CFD spokesman Capt. Rob Christopher.
Both men were able to get out of the burning aircraft before CFD firefighters arrived on the scene and extinguished the blaze with foam.
"According to the medics, the two had injuries that were somewhat minor, but were transported to Atlanta Medical to be checked out as a precautionary measure," Christopher said.
"Somebody passing by came to Fire Station 2 and told us about it," Christopher said. "He said there was a helicopter down and smoke was coming from the helicopter."
CFD firefighters rushed to the scene and found the burning chopper.
Christopher said the airport was shut down and would remain closed until investigators arrived from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
"It will remain shut down until the scene is completely secure. I don't have an estimate on that time right now," he said Friday evening.
More like this story
- Plane crashes at airport; pilot escapes with minor injuries ( June 14, 2011 )
- CFD investigates two 'suspicious' fires ( November 1, 2010 )
- Fire hits Raceway: Store destroyed; no damage to pumps ( May 26, 2010 )
- Caring soles: Covington firefighters gear up to Give Burns the Boot ( April 26, 2011 )
- Pilots to control runway lights ( October 6, 2010 )
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID