Helicopter crashes near Highway Patrol academy in Raleigh

Published 11:07 pm Sunday, November 8, 2020

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A helicopter belonging to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol crashed Sunday near the agency’s training academy in Raleigh. No one was injured.

The Highway Patrol pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft when the crash happened shortly after 2 p.m. near an intersection, department spokesman Sgt. Chris Knox said. The helicopter did not collide with any vehicles.

Knox said the Federal Aviation Administration will be involved in the investigation. He said the aircraft appears to be a “total loss” based on initial observations. No other details of the crash were immediately available.

The Highway Patrol and the local fire department were among the agencies that responded to the scene.

Two years ago, another helicopter crashed in the area. In that case, the helicopter’s rotor hit the ground after a Highway Patrol pilot struggled to control the aircraft. That caused the helicopter to fall on its side. The pilot and a passenger suffered minor injuries.