By WHQR Newsroom
Wilmington, NC – An small helicopter crashed this morning near Carolina Beach Road, south of Monkey Junction.
There are reports of one fatality in the crash of the two-seat private helicopter. First reports came to emergency dispatchers at 9:51, reporting the crash near the intersection of Carolina Beach Road and Sanders Road.
Airport officials are trying to confirm that the craft was based at Wilmington International Airport. Airport operations manager Gary Broughton says the craft appears to be a Robinson R22 Beta, which he described as a "trainer" helicopter.
Charlotte Philemon owns a shop near the crash site.
Philemon says she thought the helicopter sounded strange, "maybe like it was having some kind of engine difficulty, but then I thought, well, that's probably just the way it sounds. And the next thing I knew, I saw people running over there and a great big puff of black smoke."
The Federal Aviation Administration is on the scene investigating why the helicopter crashed.
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