News

Sheriff's Office Copter Makes Hard Landing

By Bill Bair
THE LEDGER

Published: Friday, May 16, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, May 16, 2008 at 6:33 a.m.

LAKE WALES | Two Polk County sheriff's pilots practicing emergency operations escaped serious injuries when their helicopter crashed about 4:40 p.m. Thursday at Lake Wales Airport.

BILL BAIR | THE LEDGER

POLK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE crime scene investigators document the site where a Sheriff's Office helicopter crashed Thursday at Lake Wales Airport. No one was seriously hurt.

The R44 Robinson helicopter was occupied by Chief Pilot Greg Love, 48, hired in 1995 as a pilot, and Deputy Brian Bolton, 39, hired in 2006 and promoted to the Aviation Unit in 2007. Love was piloting the helicopter when it went down.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Wood said the reasons for the crash had not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified and will investigate. Sheriff's crime scene investigators were processing the scene Thursday evening.

The helicopter ended up on its left side near the west end of the airport's east-west runway. The pilots were taken to Lake Wales Hospital for evaluation. Bolton was treated and released for minor injuries. Love remained at the hospital late Thursday. Neither was seriously injured, Wood said.

[ Bill Bair can be reached at bill.bair@theledger.com or 863-676-7118. ]

This story appeared in print on page B1