The Hall County Sheriff's Office released Monday morning the name of the man killed Saturday in a gyrocopter crash in Gainesville.
The agency said Larry Franklin Preiss, 75, of Gainesville, was identified as the victim in the crash just after 2 p.m. near Clarks Bridge Road.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
The FAA lists the gyrocopter as an experimental Silverlight Aviation AR-1.
Flight tracking website FlightAware shows the aircraft took off from Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville at about 1:25 p.m. Saturday. The FAA said the aircraft then crashed at 1:50 p.m.
The NTSB said the aircraft hit powerlines and crashed into a field.
"An NTSB investigator traveled to the site on Saturday," an NTSB spokesperson said. "The wreckage was recovered Sunday and moved to a secure location where it will be further examined and documented."
First update published at 6:47 p.m. Saturday:
Officials said the helicopter went down just after 2:00 p.m. in a hay field on private property in the North Hall area near Clarks Bridge Road. The victim was a 75-year-old man from Gainesville.
Hall County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman B.J. Williams said the man was the only person in the helicopter at the time of the crash.
"The name of this craft was an AR-1 Rotorcraft, so it was an ultra-light helicopter," Williams said.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office will reportedly be conducting the death investigation, with plans to release the victim's name after the family has been notified.
Original story published at 4:51 p.m. Saturday:
One person died Saturday afternoon in a helicopter crash on the 4700 block of Clarks Bridge Road just north of Glade Farm Road in Hall County.
According to a social media post by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been confirmed dead. At approximately 2:30 p.m., Clarks Bridge Road was closed to allow investigators and responders effective access to the scene.
Clarks Bridge Road has since been reopened to traffic. HCSO officials ask those who are traveling in the area to be aware of emergency personnel who are still on the scene.
Reports indicate the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been contacted to assist with the investigation.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
