Helicopter makes crash landing Thursday west of Maybee; no one injured

LONDON TWP. — The pilot and passenger of a helicopter were not injured Thursday morning when the aircraft made a crash landing in a farm field in northwestern Monroe County.

The 51-year-old pilot from Newport and his passenger were returning to Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti when the helicopter experienced engine trouble, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough reported. At about 10:45 a.m., Monroe County Central Dispatch received a call from a citizen advising that a helicopter had crashed near their home in the area of Oelke and Yensch roads in London Township.

First responders from the sheriff’s office, London/Maybee/Raisinville Fire Department, and Monroe Community Ambulance responded to the crash scene, Goodnough said in a news release.

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Upon arrival at the scene, responders located the crashed helicopter in a farmer’s field with its pilot and passenger uninjured. With the helicopter having engine trouble, the pilot found a suitable location to land and used autorotation to control his descent, ultimately crashing into the field.

The helicopter, a RotorWay 162F, sustained "substantial" damage, according to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff's office's Uniform Services Division and the FAA. Anyone with information is asked to call 734-240-7700.