4 dead after firefighting helicopter crashes during training exercise in Florida

LEESBURG, Fla. — Four people were killed after a firefighting helicopter crashed Tuesday during a training exercise, officials say.

The helicopter crashed around 4 p.m. in a marshy area near Leesburg International Airport in central Florida, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

All four people on board were confirmed dead on Wednesday by the Leesburg Police Department. No other details have been released about their identity.

The chopper, a firefighting Sikorsky UH-60 owned by owned by Firehawk Helicopters, crashed between the airport property and the St. Johns River Water Management conservation area, said Leesburg City Manager Al Minner.

The FAA said Tuesday that it was investigating the crash with the National Transportation Safety Board.

"The FAA will release the aircraft tail number once investigators verify it at the scene," an FAA statement said, in part. "The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and all updates."

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Florida firefighting helicopter crash kills 4 near Leesburg airport