A trooper assigned to the State Police barracks in Batavia suffered non-life-threatening injuries Thursday morning after a mechanical failure on the helicopter he was flying forced it down in a wooded area in the Town of Bath.
Trooper Thomas A. Shultz, 41, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.
The Aviation Bell 407 helicopter was based at the Genesee County Airport.
Shultz, an experienced Army combat pilot, according to State Police, was returning to Batavia following a search for a missing person.
According to the press release, Shultz "took appropriate action and made a controlled but powerless descent, which resulted in a hard landing."
The cause of the incident is under investigation, as required, by the NTSB, FAA, and New York State Police.
Ya right, all they do this
Ya right, all they do this time of year is circle low looking for pot plants. Cant say i will miss that thing buzzing overhead daily. Who was the missing person?
I am glad he was not injured
I am glad he was not injured too badly.
one of new yorks finest
one of new yorks finest (imho)i hope there are no long term injuries,and he's back to work soon.
get well, Trooper
Most of these injuries in
Most of these injuries in this type of accident are crushing back injuries. The force of the unpowered landing pile drives the pilot down in his seat compressing the spine. I saw a new design seat for a military machine that uses crushable material to lessen this type of injury
Sounds like somebody need to
Sounds like somebody need to practice his autorotation in the future
Get Well Tom. Hopefully there
Get Well Tom. Hopefully there are no long term effects from your injuries. Now you have a story to pass to your grandkids someday that, you crashed in a helicopter and survived. Good luck in your recovery.