Pilot hospitalized as helicopter crashes minutes after takeoff at Essex County Airport

A pilot was seriously injured and evacuated to an area hospital with head injuries Saturday after the helicopter he was operating crashed moments after takeoff at Essex County Airport, Fairfield Police said.

The privately operated helicopter began to spin when it was approximately 100 feet to 150 feet in the air and then hit the ground, according to eyewitness accounts, Chief Anthony G. Manna said in a statement. The helicopter crashed on the north side of the airport near Runway No. 28.

When police arrived just after noon, they found the pilot, a 33-year-old man from Marietta, Georgia, partially leaning out of the cockpit. He was taken to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson and is in critical condition, Manna said.  Officials say the pilot was alone and heading to pick up a private charter before the helicopter crashed. The helicopter, a 2015 Bell Model 407, is operated by Zip Aviation, which is a company that operates tours and charters and is located on the airport's property.

Previous crashes: No injuries after small plane runs off end of runway at Essex County Airport

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The area surrounding the helicopter was cordoned off to the public, and the airport was closed soon after the crash occurred, authorities said. Fire and EMS were on the scene. The Nutley Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team was dispatched for a fuel spill from the aircraft, and the Essex County Sheriff's Department was assisting. Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Bureau were also called in.

Mary Ann Koruth covers education for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news about New Jersey's schools and how it affects your children, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: koruthm@northjersey.com

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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Helicopter crashes after takeoff at Essex airport