A Robinson R66 helicopter carrying three people crashed in a wooded area near Dawsonville Friday night, prompting an investigation by federal aviation authorities. Emergency responders located the downed aircraft outside metro Atlanta around 10:35 p.m.
Dawson County scene blocked
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and county fire and EMS teams rushed to the site of a possible downed aircraft Friday night.
A crew for FOX 5 Atlanta observed a scene blocked off by crime scene tape and police vehicles marking the active area.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and has an investigator traveling to the scene. Once on site, officials will examine the aircraft, document the area and later move the helicopter to a secure facility.
Investigators plan to review air traffic control recordings, radar flight tracks, weather forecasts, maintenance records and the background of the pilot. The federal safety board is also asking any witnesses or people with surveillance video to email them at witness@ntsb.gov.
Passenger conditions unknown
Local and federal authorities have not shared whether anyone was injured or died in the overnight crash. The identities of the three people on board also remain unknown.
The NTSB noted that local officials are responsible for releasing information about victims and injuries. Investigators have not determined what caused the helicopter to go down, as the current fact-gathering phase focuses strictly on evidence.
