No Survivors Found after a Training Helicopter Crashes into a Swamp near Leesburg Airport
Four crew members onboard a firefighting helicopter have died after it crashed into a swamp near Leesburg Airport. Witnesses tagged it as devastating.
It was a very tragic situation on May 25, after a firefighting helicopter crashed into a swamp near Leesburg Airport during a training exercise. The report had it that at least one person was confirmed dead.
The Leesburg Fire Rescue took to their Facebook page on Tuesday to give a live update on the happenings. According to the statement, crew members went onto the scene of the incident to search for survivors.
An image of a helicopter | Photo: Shutterstock
However, their efforts were futile after the crash resulted in a total loss. The fire rescue department penned down some information explaining that no survivors were found at the time.
Despite the fire being under control, one board member was confirmed dead. The United States forestry was spotted around the scene, plowing a line to prevent the vegetation from catching fire.
Two police men walking along the street | Photo: Pexels
The Federal Aviation Administration was notified about the tragic ordeal. In their statement, it was revealed that they would commence their investigations the following day.
Followers of the Facebook page expressed their heartfelt thoughts in the comments section. A majority offered prayers for all the souls on board, their family members, and the rescue workers.
In March, Billionaire Petr Kellner, alongside four others, was killed in a helicopter crash in the Alaskan Mountains.
An American policeman walks in the street with a police car visible in the background | Photo: Shutterstock/ALDECA studio
A representative for the FAA revealed to People in an interview that the helicopter was a Sikorsky UH-60 aircraft and had four people on board. The woman noted that the time of the crash was 4 PM.
Captain Joe Iozzi from the Leesburg police department explained in a statement that WKMG reported that witnesses on the scene saw the helicopter go into a tailspin, after which the tail separated from the body.
The Leesburg police department on Wednesday confirmed that the four people in the helicopter had died. However, no further details about their identities were released.
The FAA noted that it would join forces with the National Transportation Safety Board. With the former releasing the tail number after being verified by investigators, the latter would be in charge of updates and investigations.
In March, Billionaire Petr Kellner, alongside four others, was killed in a helicopter crash in the Alaskan Mountains. However, a sole survivor was found and revealed to be in serious but stable condition at the time.
The 56-year-old billionaire was from the Czech Republic and co-founded the PPF Group. The identities of the other four were revealed as Gregory Harms, Benjamin Larochaix, Sean McManamy, and Zachary Russell.