Black Hawk Helicopter Crashes In Florida; No Survivors Found

A firefighting helicopter crashed near Leesburg Airport in central Florida during a training exercise Tuesday.

Four people were on board the Sikorsky UH-60 firefighting helicopter, also known as Black Hawk, when it crashed at 4:00 p.m. The helicopter crashed at the south end of Runway 31, between the airport property and the swamp of the St. Johns River Water Management conservation area, according to City Manager Al Minner.

One person on board was confirmed dead and no survivors have been found, authorities said. "The crash appears to be a total loss. No survivors have been located," the Leesburg Fire-Rescue Department said.

The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) was already notified of the incident. A joint investigation by the agency and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would be conducted today.

Crews arrived at the scene to mitigate hazards, the fire department said. A photo of the crash scene shared by the department shows a plume of black smoke coming up near a wooded area at the airport.

U.S. Forest Service plowed a line around the crash scene to prevent any vegetation from catching fires. The fire around the crash was under control, its caption indicated.

"The FAA will release the aircraft tail number once investigators verify it at the scene. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and all updates," reported Bay News 9, citing a statement from the FAA.

"It's apparent that the helicopter went into a tailspin and at some point, the tail separated from the main body," Leesburg Police Captain Joe Iozzi said as per ClickOrlando. "The tail actually went onto the airport runway area while the main body of the helicopter went into the wooded swampy area which is making it difficult for rescue crews to get back to."

According to the Army National Guard, the Black Hawk helicopters are routinely used in training operations due to their versatility.