Pilot Injured In Helicopter Crash At Essex County Airport

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ —A pilot was injured in a helicopter crash at Essex County Airport on Saturday, and was found in the cockpit with a head wound, the Fairfield police said.

Police said they received several 911 calls around 12:04 p.m. that day reporting a crash at the airport.

Police, Fire and EMS were dispatched. Officers found a helicopter on the ground on the north side of the airport near Runway #28, police said.

The lone pilot, a man, 33, from Marietta, Ga., was found "still in the pilot seat, partially leaning out of the cockpit," police said.

Officers observed injuries to his head. He was extricated from the helicopter and transported by the West Essex First Aid Squad to an area trauma hospital.

Police said, "Preliminary investigation indicates that the helicopter, a 2015 Bell Model 407, is operated by Zip Aviation located on the airport property. It appears that the pilot was taking off and heading to pick up a private charter when the crash occurred. A witness at the scene reported that the helicopter may have been as high as 100’ to 150’ in the air when it began to spin, and then hit the ground."

The area around the helicopter was secured pending the arrival of the Nutley Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team to help deal with a fuel spill and the arrival of investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Bureau. The Essex County Sheriff's Department assisted at the scene.

The airport was temporarily closed to all aircraft.