Four Injuries, No Fatalities

In the second incident of its kind on the East Coast since last weekend, one aircraft descended upon another Saturday, forcing an incident on the runway. In this latest accident, a Piper Pawnee (file photo, right) towing a glider was taking off at Florida's North Palm Beach County Airport Saturday when a helicopter, practicing a training maneuver, descended from above.

Of the four people involved in the potentially tragic incident, all but one of the two instructors and two student pilots walked away from the crash with just minor injuries.

Instructor Timothy Barry, in the Pawnee, was towing soaring student Kevin Breen, who's just 15 years old. Witnesses say, when the helicopter smacked the canopy of the Pawnee, young Breen had the presence of mind to disconnect the tow-rope and find his own place to land. Barry, who's 54, was reportedly seriously injured and is now hospitalized. His wounds are said not to be life-threatening.

In the helicopter (type unknown), instructor Eva Gehnke, 37, of Palm Beach Gardens (FL), and her student, Anthony Normenthe, of Jupiter, were treated and released after the incident.

FAA and NTSB investigators will look into the cause of the accident.

FMI: www.faa.gov