Friday, January 25, 2008

UPDATE: Victims In Helicopter Crash Identified

UPDATE: The second victim has been identified as Raimo Heikkala, 63, of Dania, Fla.

Authorities identified Wednesday one of the two people killed in a fiery helicopter crash in the Everglades on Tuesday.

Donald Stewart Mills, 73, of Toronto, Canada, was in the pilot seat of the Robinson R-44 helicopter when it crashed onto a runway around 12:30 p.m. at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, 54575 U.S. 41 E.

The airport straddles the Collier and Miami-Dade County line. The identity of the other person in the helicopter was not known late Wednesday afternoon. The helicopter was seen leaving Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A witness told deputies that the helicopter appeared to be practicing take-offs and landings at Dade-Collier when it suddenly rose and flipped, crashing onto the runway and exploding.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were working Wednesday on determining the cause of the crash.