On Friday, Mar 28, the Seminole County Fire Department responded to a call in Chuluota and arrived to see an unusual sight: a small helicopter had crashed and overturned in someone’s backyard.
Around 5:43 p.m., firefighters responded to an aircraft emergency call at 1236 Galant Fox Way in Chuluota, where they found a small helicopter that had crashed on its side during an “unplanned landing” in a residential backyard. According to a press release put out by the department, no structures were damaged in the crash, and thankfully the only person involved was the helicopter’s lone pilot, who walked away from the incident with minor injuries.
In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA has identified the helicopter as a RotorWay Exec 162F, a small two-seat, kit-built craft built in 2014 with a registration number out of Clay County in Middleburg, FL. A report published by the FAA after the crash called it an “experimental helicopter” that was “practicing hovering maneuvers” and attempting to land at the time of the crash.
Eyewitness reports state that the helicopter was instead trying to take off when it was caught by an unexpected gust of wind and overturned.
Some residents near the scene of the crash have reportedly stated that the helicopter could be heard crashing to the ground, while others remained unaware that anything had happened until the fire department arrived on scene.
While reports are conflicting, the official cause of the crash remains unclear at this time, and the investigation into the incident is still ongoing, with the FAA publishing updates as they become available.
