The sheriff said calls started coming in shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday about a collision in a private field near a home on 214 in the Melrose area. He said deputies and Fire Rescue responded and firefighters were able to extinguish a small fire. According to an FHP report, at approximately 10:10 a.m., the gyrocopter crashed into a residential grass field near County Road 214 and Melrose Road and caught fire on impact. The two people inside died at the scene, troopers said. Cook said FHP is taking the lead on the investigation and any further updates will come from that agency. He confirmed that the aircraft appeared to be an improvised gyrocopter and described it as “badly deformed and badly burnt”. one D He said it landed within 100 feet of two buildings on either side. “Unfortunately, two people have died, but we’re very fortunate that this gyrocopter didn’t hit a house,” Cook said, adding that it’s possible the operator was able to deliberately avoid the buildings in a last-minute act of heroism before crashing. the field. A helicopter crash was reported on County Road 214 in the Melrose area of Clay County. (WJXT)
Timetable
Clay County Fire Rescue reported at 10:11 a.m. that crews were at the scene of a downed aircraft in the area of County Road 214 and Baker Road. Crews are responding to the scene of an aircraft crash in the area of the 6500 block of BAKER RD/COUNTY ROAD 214. — Clay County Fire Rescue (@ClayFireRescue) July 30, 2022 At 11:26 a.m., the Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on social media that a helicopter had crashed in the area and was “still burning.” The fire was out by 11:43 a.m., deputies said. HELICOPTER CRASH: CCSO and CCFR are on scene of a helicopter crash on C/R 214 in Melrose. The helicopter is still burning. If possible, avoid the area at this time. Media Viewing Area: 7085 C/R 214* Updates will be posted as they become available.* pic.twitter.com/gmfaJa0coQ — Clay County, FL Sheriff’s Office (@ccsofl) July 30, 2022 Drivers and residents were urged to avoid the area if possible. At 12:10 p.m., the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed in a Tweet that the two occupants of the “experimental aircraft” died at the scene. FHP said the crash happened on private property on County Road 214 near Melrose Road, which is about a block above Baker Street. one D Deadly plane crash in Clay County. Keystone Heights area. County Road 214 and Melrose Road. Two occupants of an experimental aircraft went down on private property. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. pic.twitter.com/fvfFfQTRID — FHPJacksonville (@FHPJacksonville) July 30, 2022 At 12:39 p.m., the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it would investigate the crash of “an experimental T-2 Gyroplane” near Melrose. The NTSB is investigating the July 30 crash of the T-2 experimental Gyroplane near Melrose, Florida. — NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) July 30, 2022 Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4JAX – All Rights Reserved.
