Helicopter Crash In North County: 1 Injured

VALLEY CENTER, CA – A 35-year-old man suffered minor injuries when a helicopter piloted by a 51-year-old man crashed Friday morning while it was being refilled with pesticides in a remote area in Valley Center, authorities said.

The Bell 206 helicopter went down around 7:10 a.m. near the intersection of McNally and Muutama roads, according to sheriff's officials and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The 51-year-old pilot, uninjured in the crash, told deputies he was spraying an orchard with pesticide then went to refill the aircraft, Sgt. Michael Tingley said.

A 35-year-old man was helping to refill the helicopter with the chemicals when the crash happened, Tingley said.

The victim was airlifted to Palomar Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, the sergeant said.
The helicopter is registered to a small, Valley Center-based company called Hummingbird, Inc. Aerial Applicators, NBC7 reported.

The company -- in business for 40 years -- specializes in aerial agricultural application, according to the company's website.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were called in to investigate.

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--City News Service