Man killed in helicopter crash was experienced pilot | TBO.com
The pilot whose helicopter crashed into Tampa Bay on Friday afternoon near Apollo Beach was an experienced pilot who was certified on multiple aircraft, including large commercial passenger jets, according to a statement released by his family.
John Lawrence Ward, whose friends called him Larry, held both U.S. and International airline transport licenses and was a licensed helicopter instructor, according to the statement.
“He had just celebrated his 60th birthday on Thanksgiving,” according to the statement. “Larry loved flying.”
The statement said Ward’s wife, Karen and friends were shocked by the tragedy as Larry was known as a meticulous pilot.
“Information available suggests that this may have resulted from mechanical failure,” according to the statement.
The Wards have been residents of Davis Islands in Tampa for more than 20 years. “Karen appreciates the concern expressed by family, friends and neighbors regarding Larry's death,” according to the family’s statement.
Ward took off Friday afternoon from Tampa Bay Aviation for a flight in an R-22 helicopter. The weather was good and Ward, a 1974 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with more than 20 years experience as a pilot with American Airlines, was flying about 75 yards above Tampa Bay.
Around 3 p.m., the helicopter crashed into the bay when a rotor apparently malfunctioned and separated from the helicopter, according to witnesses.
The helicopter sank into the shallow waters of the bay a few hundred yards offshore and quickly sank.
Crews immediately started searching for Ward. They found the helicopter using underwater sensors but were not able to find Ward’s body or salvage the helicopter by nightfall. The search resumed this morning and divers with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office soon found Ward’s body at the site of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will conduct the investigation into the cause of the accident.