A helicopter pilot died Sunday after crashing his “ultralight” helicopter into power lines near Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, police say.
Larry Franklin Preiss, 75, was killed in the crash, according to WMAZ. Nobody on the ground was injured, the outlet reported.
Franklin was the only person onboard when his AR-1 gyroplane crashed into a hay field after making contact with nearby power lines, WMAZ reported.
Pilot dead after helicopter hits power lines, crashes near Lake Lanier, deputies say https://t.co/kmSyJbegar
— 13WMAZ News (@13wmaznews) March 26, 2023
Police closed down a nearby roadway after the crash, according to a Tweet from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. (RELATED: REPORT: Two Politicians Survive Horrific Helicopter Crash Caught On Camera In Brazil)
“A helicopter has crashed in the 4700 block of Clarks Bridge Road just north of Glade Farm Road,” the post reads. “The road has been closed at this time.”
𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐌
A helicopter has crashed in the 4700 block of Clarks Bridge Road just north of Glade Farm Road. The road has been closed at this time. One person has died in the crash. More details to come. pic.twitter.com/JtjXDBLRVh— Hall County Sheriff (@HallCountySO) March 25, 2023
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash, WMAZ reported.
A police helicopter crashed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, early Sunday morning while pursuing a suspect. Two pilots on board were killed in the crash.