A 75-year-old pilot was killed Saturday when his ultralight aircraft crashed in a Hall County hayfield, officials said.
The American Ranger 1 gyroplane went down along Clarks Bridge Road, just north of Glade Farm Road, shortly before 2 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed. The aircraft resembles a small helicopter.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said no one on the ground was injured.
The pilot’s body was taken to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, the sheriff’s office said. He was identified as Larry Franklin Preiss.
Parts of Clarks Bridge Road remained closed for a couple of hours due to the investigation, which is being conducted by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The aircraft hit power lines and crashed into the field, according to NTSB spokesman Peter C. Knudson. The wreckage will be moved to a secure location for the investigation. A preliminary report is expected in two to three weeks, Knudson said.
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