Fatal mosquito control chopper crash

Following developing news out of Manatee County this morning, a mosquito control pilot is dead after a helicopter crash overnight. Investigators say his chopper hit a private radio tower and crashed near Myakka City. Fox 13's Matthew McClellan, he's live, he's near the scene. Matt, good morning. Bring us up to speed. What happened? Hey, good morning, Jen and Walter. So this is one of two Manatee County mosquito control helicopters flying in this area last night. We know the one that crashed hit a private tower about 150 feet tall in the backyard of this private property where we're coming to you live. So now the NTSB and the FAA are going to have to determine why this crash happened in the first place. We know this all went down around 9 last night, just before 9 o'clock. This was on a private property. It's in Myakka City. The sheriff's office says the helicopters were involved in routine mosquito control operations. Investigators say one of them hit the tower before going down and catching fire. Firefighters pulled the pilot from the helicopter, but he died. The second mosquito control helicopter was a couple of miles away near Duncan Dairy. That pilot realizing the other helicopter had gone down before landing safely and getting help. Both these helicopters, from what we are hearing, are with mosquito control doing the routine spraying in this area. As you often see in neighborhoods, they have to fly at a certain altitude and they're making quick turns. Making quick turns, they're flying low, they're flying in the pitch black dark in order to be more precise with their targeting, their spray. Deputies say the tower that was hit, again, was in this backyard. The sheriff's office says it was not a cell phone or broadcast tower. The crash leaving a debris field of about 100 yards long. And we don't yet know, again, why the helicopter hit the tower. That question now goes to federal aviation investigators. I can also tell you guys that the Manatee County Mosquito Control District only lists two pilots on its team list. So we expect to learn more in the next few hours and are working to get an update as soon as we possibly can to bring to our viewers. All right. I know you'll keep us posted. We'll touch base with you in the next hour. Thank you, Matt.