What may have started as a flight to see a Key West sunset and other spectacular island sights from the air turned into a different kind of thrill Monday evening.
It was about 7:45 p.m. when an Air Adventure Helicopter Tours helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing just offshore — a short distance south of Roosevelt Boulevard, according to a Facebook posting by the Monroe County Commission.
The two passengers and pilot from the sightseeing helicopter were taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center with minor injuries, officials said.
A number of agencies including Key West police, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, airport deputies, Key West firefighters, Monroe County firefighters assigned to the nearby airport and state wildlife officers all responded to the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
The president and owner of Air Adventure Helicopter Tours — Peter Closi — told WPLG-Ch. 10 that the emergency landing happened after the helicopter’s tail rotor came off and that the outcome was the “best case scenario,” under the circumstances.
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