Helicopter pilot dies after hitting tree, crashing in North Georgia
A pilot died Tuesday after authorities said the helicopter he was flying hit a tree limb and crashed in a wooded area in North Georgia.
Pickens County sheriff’s deputies said the crash happened at 7866 Ellijay Road in Talking Rock. The pilot, Johnny Kent, was the only person on board, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
First video from Pickens County helicopter crash courtesy sheriffs office. Pilot air lifted to hospital. He apparently collided with a tree. Updates to come. pic.twitter.com/oJEaD7tEcs
— Tom Regan (@tomreganWSB) March 5, 2019
Many of the details of the crash remain unclear, but Pickens sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Kris Stancil told AJC.com that it seems at one point the helicopter made contact with a tree.
Kent was airlifted from the scene, Stancil said. He was at Grady Memorial Hospital when he was pronounced dead at 5:44 p.m.
Authorities said the H369 helicopter had saws attached and appeared to be trimming trees near a power line.
The FAA will be investigating.
In other news:
About the Authors
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
