‘Sparks everywhere;’ 911 calls detail deadly helicopter crash in Clark County

CLARK COUNTY — Newly released 911 calls detail the moments following a helicopter crash that killed a man in Clark County Saturday.

Isaac Santos, 36, of Gettysburg, PA, was flying a Bell 206L-4 helicopter near Interstate 70 in Clark County when it struck power lines. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The helicopter lost control as it was being used by the aerial application business “Helicopter Applicators Inc.” and crashed into a field on East Possum Road.

>>PHOTOS: Sky 7 images from helicopter crash in Clark County

Power lines fell onto both Eastbound and Westbound Interstate 70 and caused seven vehicles to be involved in minor crashes, OSHP said.

Numerous people called 911 to report what they saw.

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“We just witnessed a helicopter that’s crop dusting, he just hit the main powerlines and crashed in the field,” one caller told dispatchers. “Sparks everywhere and then we saw the helicopter went straight down.”

“There’s a power line laying across [I-70] going both lanes of traffic, traffic is all stopped,” another 911 caller said.

I-70 was closed in both directions for five hours while Ohio Edison removed the high-voltage lines from the freeway.

The incident remains under investigation by the OSHP, FAA, and NTSB.

We will continue to provide updates on this developing story.

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