Time Out
8th Oct 2003, 23:08
WAFF reported earlier today:
A helicopter went down Tuesday morning at 9:30 in an exclusive Huntsville subdivision. Apparently, the pilot was flying a photographer who was taking pictures for a brochure of the homes and golf course at The Ledges in Huntsville. Smack dab on the championship tee of the 14th green, the pilot was forced to make a crash landing.
"I was on the putting green up at the clubhouse," said Dr. W. Evans Allison, Sr. "I heard this loud noise and then nothing. So, I thought something went down. I didn't see it."
Police say the pilot, Aaron Pearson, who happens to be a Huntsville Firefighter, was hovering over the green, when a gust of wind hit the chopper. He tried to back up, but one of his blades clipped a tree limb, sending him to a 40 to 50-foot plunge. Pearson called 911 on his cell phone. An ambulance rushed his passenger, Douglas Smoot to the emergency room for minor injuries. Pearson, however, walked away with just a few scratches.
"I'm amazed and pleased that nobody was hurt seriously," said golfer, Dr. Robert Moorman.
Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration snapped pictures and talked to the pilot. Despite all of this, the course stayed open. Golfers got a glimpse of the wreckage and kept on playing.
"It looks like the thing came straight down, but it's fairly much intact," said Moorman. "So there's not as much destruction of the chopper as I thought there'd be."
"I think it's very lucky it didn't hurt the golf course," said Allison. "The championship tees are seldom played out here."
Lucky it didn't hurt the golf course!!!!
The report (http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=1472961) shows four pictures of the helicopter after the accident.
A later report (http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=1473917) indicated that after a gust of wind hit the helicopter, the pilot tried to back up, but one of the blades clipped a tree limb, forcing him to make a crash landing.
A helicopter went down Tuesday morning at 9:30 in an exclusive Huntsville subdivision. Apparently, the pilot was flying a photographer who was taking pictures for a brochure of the homes and golf course at The Ledges in Huntsville. Smack dab on the championship tee of the 14th green, the pilot was forced to make a crash landing.
"I was on the putting green up at the clubhouse," said Dr. W. Evans Allison, Sr. "I heard this loud noise and then nothing. So, I thought something went down. I didn't see it."
Police say the pilot, Aaron Pearson, who happens to be a Huntsville Firefighter, was hovering over the green, when a gust of wind hit the chopper. He tried to back up, but one of his blades clipped a tree limb, sending him to a 40 to 50-foot plunge. Pearson called 911 on his cell phone. An ambulance rushed his passenger, Douglas Smoot to the emergency room for minor injuries. Pearson, however, walked away with just a few scratches.
"I'm amazed and pleased that nobody was hurt seriously," said golfer, Dr. Robert Moorman.
Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration snapped pictures and talked to the pilot. Despite all of this, the course stayed open. Golfers got a glimpse of the wreckage and kept on playing.
"It looks like the thing came straight down, but it's fairly much intact," said Moorman. "So there's not as much destruction of the chopper as I thought there'd be."
"I think it's very lucky it didn't hurt the golf course," said Allison. "The championship tees are seldom played out here."
Lucky it didn't hurt the golf course!!!!
The report (http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=1472961) shows four pictures of the helicopter after the accident.
A later report (http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=1473917) indicated that after a gust of wind hit the helicopter, the pilot tried to back up, but one of the blades clipped a tree limb, forcing him to make a crash landing.