A 911 caller who witnessed the Bell 206-4 helicopter hit power lines and crash into the field told the dispatcher “the whole tail of the helicopter flew up in the air” off the aircraft. He said power lines laid across I-70 westbound and eastbound.
“We just witnessed a helicopter that’s crop dusting, he just hit the main power lines and crashed in a field,” the caller said.
The helicopter was owned by Helicopter Applicators Inc. — a company that performs aerial applications such as herbicide and insecticide to farmland and other industries — based out of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was piloted by 36-year-old Isaac Lee Santos.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office has Santos’ body for autopsy.
“It looks like a helicopter or something hit the tower,” one caller told an emergency dispatcher.
The power lines fell onto westbound and eastbound lanes of I-70, which caused seven vehicles to be involved in minor crashes, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. I-70 was closed for several hours.
Another caller said the power lines “cut a camper in half.” The owner of the camper said that no one inside was injured.
One caller said that the lines came down “and totaled my car.” Another person said they watched the lines rip off the hood of a car.
“There’s high-power lines all over the interstate,” a caller said.
One woman who was driving from Columbus told 911 dispatch her car hit the power lines and her 83-year-old grandmother sustained minor cuts to her arm.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.
The probable cause of the crash may take up to two years to be determined, but a preliminary report could be ready within two weeks.
The helicopter was found on Saturday deep into a cornfield off East Possum Road, where OSHP, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Twp. Fire Dept., Clark County EMA and the Clark County Coroner’s Office responded.
Clark County farmers routinely use helicopters and planes to treat their crops, especially corn. Much of that work is done in July and August.
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