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The pilot was taking off and heading to pick up a private charter when the a 2015 Bell Model 407 began spinning around 100 to 150 feet in the air around noon, Fairfield police said. Then, it hit the ground on the north side of the airport near Runway #28.
The pilot, from Marietta, Georgia, was found still in the pilot seat, partially leaning out of the cockpit with head injuries. He was extricated and taken by the West Essex First Aid Squad to an area trauma hospital.
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. At the time of this release, the airport remained closed to all aircraft. Assisting at the scene was the Essex County Sheriff’s Department.
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