GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A pilot is dead after an "ultralight" helicopter crashed after it struck power lines near a busy road close to Lake Lanier in Gainesville Saturday afternoon, National Transportation Safety Board officials said.
Hall County Sheriff's Office deputies said the chopper crashed in the 4700 block of Clarks Bridge Road just north of Glade Farm Road around 1:50 p.m. The helicopter crashed in a hay field on private property off the roadway.
The helicopter model was an AR-1 gyroplane and only the 75-year-old pilot, Larry Franklin Preiss from Gainesville, was on board. No one on the ground was injured. His body was taken to DeKalb County Medical Examiner's office for autopsy.
The FAA and the NTSB are now investigating, with the NTSB being in charge.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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