Authorities in Polk County in Northwest Georgia are investigating the cause of a crash that killed the pilot of a gyrocopter.
The crash occurred Monday in a cotton field a few miles from the Polk County Airport, according to reports from media sources in the area. Officials with the airport said they became concerned when the pilot failed to return to the airport in a timely manner, so they started an air search.
Hometown Headlines in Rome said the wreckage was discovered by a farmer around 1:30 p.m. in the field on Collard Valley Road.
Polk County Coroner Tony Brazier identified the pilot as John Eaves, 53, of a Cumming address. He told the publication Eaves was the only person on board. Brazier said the pilot's body has been sent to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsy.
No one on the ground was injured.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and local officials.
