UPDATE: 3:56 p.m., Friday:
Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ryan J. Sonnier
Bristol Township police said they’re investigating a “suspicious occurrence” that involved a helicopter with smoke coming from the rotor landing in a field.
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Police said the helicopter, a blue and white Huey-style, landed suddenly in a field at 7900 North Radcliffe Street around 1:30 p.m. Friday.
“A witness reports bluish-grey smoke coming from the rotor/transmission area. As the witness approached, the pilot exited the aircraft, looked over the engine, and returned to the aircraft, lifting off and flying south before the witness could speak with him. The witness said the aircraft was occupied by other people. The witness was not able to obtain any other identifying information from the aircraft,” a police statement said.
Officials said Northeast Philadelphia Airport was not aware of any emergency helicopter landings.
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Police have reported the incident to the FAA’s Flight Standards District Office for further review.
Anyone with information on the incident or in identifying the aircraft is asked to call police at 267-812-3036.
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The United State Air Force operates a squadron of blue and white Huey-style helicopters to transport VIPs between locations, but it was not clear if those choppers were in the region for the DNC or for any other air transport. A spokesperson for the military said they would check into the incident.
Original Post:
Despite what you may have seen on Facebook or heard on the scanner, no helicopter or small plane crashed Friday in Bristol Township.
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Around 1:40 p.m. Friday, fire crews from Edgely and Tullytown fire companies were called along with police to a location near the Delaware River in Bristol Township for a possible downed aircraft. Upon arrival, officials realized that was not the case and crews were released.
Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said it was determined that no aircraft had crashed, but a helicopter had briefly landed in a field and had taken off before first responders got to the scene.
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While false alarms are common in emergency service, it’s not every day that a report of a possible aircraft crash comes across to first responders.
Nearby residents looked to the sky after a TV news helicopter heard the report of the possible crash and checked the area.
