Sheriff’s office helicopter crashes near Charleston airport

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. — A helicopter belonging to a county sheriff’s office crashed near the Charleston International Airport in South Carolina, causing flights to be cancelled for around two hours.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday’s crash in a post on social media. Authorities said the pilot was the only person aboard and suffered “non-life-threatening injuries.”

Charleston County Aviation Authority Executive Director Elliott Summey told WCIV-TV the pilot anticipated the crash and maneuvered the aircraft to the middle of an airfield before the helicopter went down. Authorities say the crash prompted the airport to temporarily suspend commercial flights.

At least one runway had reopened by early Tuesday evening.

From FAA:

“A Bell 407 Helicopter crashed at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina around 3:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, August 1. Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.”

This is a developing story, check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

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