The helicopter that crashed outside Tullahoma, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon was on the way to an industry trade show in Atlanta.
Arista Aviation Services confirmed Thursday evening that two of its employees were on board a HH-60L Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed in a "deserted" part of Moore County.
As of Thursday evening, the pilots were yet to be identified, pending notification of next of kin.
Both were experienced pilots, Arista said.
One pilot was transported by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center from Tullahoma Airport. The individual reportedly had neck and back injuries.
The other was transported by emergency services to a local hospital for evaluation.
The helicopter went down in a privately-owned field five miles south of Tullahoma, according to Tullahoma spokesperson Winston Brooks confirmed.
At 3:16 p.m., the Coffee County Communications Center received a crash complaint from one of the two pilots, Brooks said in an emailed release.
According to the FAA, the helicopter in question was a Sikorsky HH60
"The FAA will investigate, and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident. We will release the aircraft registration after local authorities release the names of the aircraft occupants," an emailed statement from the FAA said.
Metro Moore County Emergency Management Agency took charge of the scene Thursday evening.
Arista is based in Enterprise, Alabama. A release from the company said it provides "maintenance and modifications to an assortment of rotor wing platforms operated both domestically and internationally for a variety of missions, which include firefighting and construction."
This coverage is ongoing, check back for updates.
Reach reporter Mariah Timms at [email protected] or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.
