Police

Pilot flying self-made helicopter crash-lands in Aquebogue

A helicopter crash-landed in an Aquebogue field Sunday afternoon. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)
A helicopter crash-landed in an Aquebogue field Sunday afternoon. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)

A helicopter pilot was taken to a local hospital after he crash-landed a Mosquito Ultra Light Helicopter on an Aquebogue sod farm on Sunday, authorities said.

The single-seat helicopter made an emergency landing at about 4 p.m. in a field off Church Lane near Vineyard Way in Aquebogue, according to fire officials on the scene.

The pilot, identified as 71-year-old Erwin S. Rodger of Mattituck, was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, according to Riverhead police.

“[He] did not appear to be badly injured,” said Riverhead Fire Department second assistant chief Pete Jackman.

Police said Mr. Rodger had a mechanical issue while flying the helicopter in the area of Church Lane and needed to make an emergency landing, police said. The ultralight helicopter is a kit Mr. Rodger put together, police said.

Firefighters were called to the scene to stop a fuel leakage from the vessel’s damaged parts, Mr. Jackman said. The helicopter did not catch fire following the crash.

The FAA was notified and is investigating the accident, police said.

This is not the first local Ultra Light crash for Mr. Rodger.

In 2011, he walked away from the scene of a crash with only minor injures after crash landing and flipping his aircraft in a marsh at Mattituck Inlet. He said at the time of that crash that low visibility, not mechanical failure caused him to hit the marsh, causing the aircraft to flip.

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