ALPINE, Ala. – A late Friday afternoon helicopter crash left one person dead in Alpine, just north of Sylacauga.
A 911 alert dispatched first responders to 700 Edwards Rd. near Tallaseehatchie Baptist Church, and the area was blocked off for several hours. Sylacauga Fire Chief Nate Osgood told SylacaugaNews.com that the agricultural helicopter was believed to have struck a power line.
“I happened to be in my yard when he was spraying fields in front of my house and videoed him,” said area resident Shanci Wood. “A few minutes later, I heard the crash and jumped in my car and called 911.”
Talladega County Coroner Shaddix Murphy said the pilot, 30-year-old Zachary Pourciau of Ventress, La., was killed in the crash. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Bell Helicopter OH-58A was conducting spraying operations in the area.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
