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Isaac Lee Santos, of Gettysburg, was flying a Bell 206L-4 helicopter over East Possum Road near Interstate 70 by mile marker 58 when his helicopter became entangled in power lines just outside Springfield around 12:10 p.m. on July 29, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The helicopter owned by Helicopter Applicators Inc. of Gettysburg was found in a cornfield the National Transportation Safety Board told Daily Voice.
A preliminary investigation by the NTSB shows Isaac lost control and crashed into a field, dragging the powerlines down onto both the westbound and eastbound lanes of I-70— bringing traffic to a standstill for hours.
Isaac was the only person in the helicopter when it crashed, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to OSHP.
It took over five hours to remove the high-voltage power lines for the road and Ohio Edison spent more than two days to restore power to homes and businesses in the area.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also looking into this deadly crash but told Daily Voice the NTSB is leading the investigation.
A spokesperson when the NTSB added the following information to its statements about the investigation in an email to Daily Voice:
"Part of the on-scene investigation in the early days include requesting air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports and contacting witnesses. Also, the investigator will request maintenance records of the aircraft, and medical records and flight history of the pilot."
Isaac was an experienced helicopter pilot training and obtaining his license at Hillsboro Aero Academy outside of Portland, OR, according to his obituary. Additionally, "He held many certifications including commercial rotorcraft and flight instructor, along with 14 different state(s) (aerial) applicator licenses," his family wrote in his obituary.
"He began his aviation career at Ag Air LLC in Thomasville, PA," and then went on to work at (Coastal )Helicopters, Inc. in Panama City, FL "before joining his final company at Helicopter Applicators, Inc. in Gettysburg, PA," as stated in his obituary.
With his years of experience, his family is shocked by the crash and hopes the investigation sheds more light on what caused him to lose control, they told WHIO.
Isaac was born and raised in Gettysburg and "he was a graduate of Biglerville High School where he had an All-Star in cross country and track," as stated in his obituary.
In addition to piloting helicopters, Isaac enjoyed snow boarding, biking, and mobiling, as well as dirt biking, just "to name a few," as detailed in his obituary.
Issac is survived by his parents Henry R. and Louella Redding Santos of Gettysburg; three sisters; Melanie Donovan (Jason) of Merriam, KS, Julie Lindaberry (Ryan) of Bangor, PA, Katie Santos of Washington, DC; significant other Hannah Svec other of Sandy, UT, according to his obituary.
His friends and family have been sharing their loss on social media.
On Saturday, Aug. 5, a viewing will begin at noon, followed by a "Celebration of Isaac’s Life" at 3 p.m., and an evening reception, all held at Liberty Mountain Resort, 78 Country Club Trail, Fairfield, according to his obituary.
"The family suggests (attendees) dress in a way that reflects Isaac’s personality and the zest he had for life. In lieu of traditional flowers, it is suggested that you bring a stem flower or small bouquet picked from your garden to add to the service," as stated in the obituary.
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