A Montgomery pilot remains in fair condition, after the private, two-seat helicopter he was flying over northern grimes county late Saturday (8/22), crashed north of Gibbons Creek Lake.
Grimes County Sheriff’s office first received word of the accident around a quarter to 6. And, though some eyewitnesses reported he was flying too low, Bryan DPS tells Navasota News, it appears it was a gust of wind that caused 36-year-old Jacob Oliver to lose control of the Robinson R-44, resulting in the craft spinning, and striking a tree in a wooded area near the 5200 block of County Road 157 in Carlos, forcing it to make what is being described as a hard landing.
Both Oliver and his passenger were injured in the crash. Due to the extent of his injuries, Oliver was transported to the St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan by Lifeflight, while his passenger, 77-year-old Wayne Bomstad of Weatherford, was taken there by ground ambulance, treated for minor injuries and released. No one on the ground was reported injured in the incident, and there are no reports of any structures damaged.
Oliver’s craft was one of two private helicopters that were flying in the area at the time of the crash, together taking part in the production of what authorities describe as a Reality TV show about feral hog hunting.
The FAA, who has already begun its examination of the crash site, reports that, according to the tail number on the downed craft, it belongs to perfect filler, a production company out of magnolia.
