Helicopter pilot recovering following crash

UPDATE@5:30 p.m.: Around noon today, crews moved what was left of the mangled helicopter onto a semi truck bed and hauled it away. The pilot, Leo Boucher, remains in serious condition and has declined an interview. Boucher is recovering at Grant Medical Center in Columbus.


UPDATE@10:55 p.m.:
Leo Boucher, pilot of the MD 500 helicopter that crashed during a tree- and brush-clearing operation, was at about 100 feet cutting a tree line west of Township Road 188 when it went down, the Ohio Highway Patrol post at Marysville said in a prepared statement.

The 50-year-old from Manchester, N.H., lost control of the copter -- equipped with an aerial saw -- and crashed into the tree line at about 4:45 p.m., OSP said.

The patrol pinpointed the crash as having occurred on Township Road 188, between Township Road 249 and Township Road 190 in Liberty Twp.

Late Tuesday night, a nursing supervisor with Grant Medical Center in Columbus confirmed a report from the Bellefontaine mayor that Boucher is in serious condition.

Alcohol and/or drugs are not believed to be a factor/factors in the accident, according to the patrol.

An official with the FAA arrived on scene at about 8:30 p.m. The crash remains under investigation.


EARLIER@9:04 p.m.:
Leo Boucher, pilot of the helicopter that crashed during a tree-trimming and brush-clearing operation for a bike path, is said to be in serious condition at Grant Medical Center, Bellefontaine Mayor Adam Brannon said Tuesday night.

Brannon, who said he has known Boucher for only a day, noted he "seemed to enjoy doing his work and I wish the best for him."

EARLIER@7:49 p.m.: The helicopter that crashed Tuesday afternoon is part of a tree-trimming and brush-clearing operation for a bike path.

The copter, with pilot Leo Boucher aboard, was carrying an aerial saw when the aircraft nosedived near U.S. 68, just west of railroad tracks and near the Liberty Hills Golf Club, Bellefontaine Mayor Adam Brannon said.

An eyewitness, who asked not to be identified by name, said it appears the saw became entangled or was caught on a branch seconds before the aircraft went down.

Boucher was taken first to Mary Rutan Hospital in Bellefontaine from the crash reported at about 5:15 p.m.

Bystanders who saw the helicopter go down are being credited as good Samaritans because they pulled Boucher from the wreckage before fire crews arrived, West Liberty Fire Chief Conrad Hosteter said.

The chief said Boucher was complaining of some pain and tingling in his arms and legs, but he was alert and conscious. He was stabilized and taken to the hospital, then transferred by helicopter to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, the chief said. Tuesday night, his condition was not available.

Boucher has cleared trees using the saw many times before, on projects involving power lines and railroad tracks, the mayor said. This is the first time he has used the saw for this type of project -- a bike path.

The bike path will run from Champaign and into Logan, parallel to railroad tracks. Trees were being cleared to install crushed limestone for the path.

Boucher, who works for South Carolina-based Rotor Blade, had two co-workers with him and they likely witnessed the accident, Mayor Brannon said. Project contractor Levann's also had several workers on scene, picking up branches as Boucher cut them, so they probably saw the crash as well.

According to The Springfield News-Sun, construction on the bike path began Monday. The $800,000 extension is being created by using the saw, which will clear 16 miles of trees in just two days.

Boucher, a tree trimmer who flies from state to state, was hired by Levann's. His helicopter flies at 150 feet with the saw that hangs down. There are less than 50 aerial saws in the world, according to Rotor Blade.

The Ohio Highway Patrol is handling the investigation concurrently with officials from the Federal Aviation Administration, who are en route.


FIRST TAKE:
A helicopter believed to part of a tree-trimming operation has crashed near Bellefontaine.

WBNS-TV in Columbus is reporting that according to the Bellefontaine mayor, the helicopter went down west of State Route 68 not far from a golf course.

The chopper was said to be clearing trees in the area, according to the mayor.

There is no word of injuries in the accident reported at about 5:15 p.m.

We have crews en route. We will update this story as we get details.

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