Crop-dusting helicopter crashes in Merced County field

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two people are being credited with pulling the pilot out of a burning crop duster after it crashed in an agricultural field and caught fire in the North Valley. The helicopter went down around 7:30 a.m. Friday near lopes and Thornton, just outside of Merced.

This is all that's left of the helicopter that crashed into a watermelon field. Its cockpit ripped open and its tail completely torn off.

"It's a very dangerous job that these guys have to do. I think they're brave people for doing it. Going in and under those lines like that and flying as low as they have to to get the job done," said Brenda Frank, a neighbor.

Neighbors say they saw the aircraft owned my Bettencourt Flying Service spraying a nearby cornfield shortly before it went down.

"I heard a thud, I heard some noise, and then the power went out so I came out to look and thought maybe a truck had hit the power pole," said Kim Ochoa, a neighbor.

Instead, they were confronted by flames burning so hot and so intense they immediately picked up the phone and called 911.

"Oh yeah it looked like a ball of fire and smoke. That's all I could see. I couldn't see what it was," said Frank.

When the Merced County Sheriff's Office arrived on scene they said it appeared the pilot had hit some guide wires used to support power lines and then lost control.

Capt. BJ Jones says two people in the area saw what happened and rushed over to help the pilot.

"They risked their own life coming through the watermelon field," said Jones. "As the aircraft was on fire near the engine and fuel tank area, they approached it, were able to get him out of the cockpit area and start rendering aid."

Action News caught up with one of the men, who didn't want to show his face on camera, but shared cellphone video he recorded as he ran up to the helicopter. As soon as he spotted the pilot was unconscious inside, he shut it off and removed him from his seatbelt as quickly as he could -- this as several farmworkers and neighbors looked on from a distance.

"It was frightening. It was awful. I'm just praying for his family, and I hope he's OK," said Ochoa.

The 43-year-old pilot was airlifted to a nearby hospital with major injuries, and we're still waiting for an update on his condition.

Sheriff's officials say this is the second crop-dusting plane to crash in the area in several months. The last one happened on June 3rd, but the pilot walked away.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating Friday's crash.