Pilot killed as helicopter crashes and bursts into flames in Texas

Eye witnesses say they saw helicopter’s tail rotor break off before fatal accident

The pilot of a helicopter was killed after it crashed into an open Texas field near businesses and burst into flames.

Officials say that the pilot was the only person onboard the helicopter when it came down in Rowlett, Texas, on Friday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash happened around 11.30am and the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, with the NTSB taking the lead.

News footage from the scene of the incident showed the wreckage of the burned helicopter, which had been surrounded by tents by emergency responders.

Rowlett Police Department confirmed the pilot’s death on Twitter.

Eye witness, Joseph Kasper, told WFAA that he was working at a nearby mechanic shop when the helicopter crashed around 40 feet away form the business.

Mr Kasper said that the helicopter had been hovering when the tail rotor appeared to break while it was still in mid-air. He said that helicopter kept hovering before falling straight down where it caught fire.

He said that he and other witnesses ran to the scene of the crash to try and put out the blaze but could not and waited for fire fighters to arrive and douse the flames.

Fabio Sanches Jelezoglo, said he also saw the tail come off of the helicopter.

“I saw the helicopter coming down. I heard a noise and when I looked up the helicopter was coming down and the tail was off,” he told the news station.