No One Was Injured, But The Helo Could Not Continue

A sightseeing helicopter ride operating at the St. Lucie County Fair in Florida had a mechanical problem Saturday and went down just inside the fairgrounds. The good news is that the pilot and two passengers escaped without injuries ... but the Ohio-based helicopter was not going to be flying again any time soon.

According to TCPalm online, the aircraft departed the east end of the fairgrounds for a low pass over the fairgrounds. Fair General Manager Jeanne Keaton said the aircraft came down on the southwest corner of the property, and that the tail boom separated from the fuselage.

One of the passengers, 52-year-old Larry Binns, said he heard the aircraft's engine "stuttering" before it went down. The pilot, 40-year-old Brian Hall, performed a successful autorotation to land the helo.

Ohio Helicopters has reportedly been a part of the St. Lucie County fair for years, and this was the first time one of its aircraft had suffered a mechanical problem.

But with the helicopter broken and grounded, the fair organizers had to come up with something to take its place. We're not sure the camel ride they settled on will give visitors the same perspective of the fairgrounds.

FMI: www.stluciecountyfair.org