Navy Helicopter Mishap Off Nine Mile Road

A Navy helicopter suffered a “mishap” at a practice field on Nine Mile Road just before 7 p.m. Friday. There were no serious injuries reported.

A Training Air Wing FIVE helicopter had a training mishap at around 6:45 p.m. Friday, according to a press release, at Naval Air Station Whiting Field’s Navy Outlying Landing Field Site 8.

Initial reports from the scene indicate that the helicopter rolled on its right side while landing and the two officers, one instructor pilot and one student, exited the helicopter on their own accord. The pilots were evaluated by NAS Whiting Field EMS personnel and were transported to a local hospital for a routine evaluation.

A witness described the crash an extremely hard landing, after which the helicopter rolled over on its side. Damage to the aircraft was described as “heavy”.

The field is located on Nine Mile Road near Bell Ridge Drive, just west of the Navy Federal complex. Military helicopters frequently use the field to practice landings.

Multiple Escambia Fire Rescue stations, Navy Fire, Escambia County EMS and a Navy crash response crew responded to the site.

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