LAKEVLLE, Minn. — A five-seat helicopter crashed in flames west of Airlake Airport. First-responders said no one survived. It was unknown immediately if anyone was on board except the pilot. The helicopter, a single-engine Robinson R66, had departed the Sky Park Airport in the southwest Minneapolis suburb of Lydia, an eight-minutes fromLakeville. If fully fueled, the helicopter would have carried 73 gallons. The crash was about 2:25 p.m. R66s are widely used for pilot training, for light cargo transport, and for law enforcement and the military missions. Since 2010 some 1,500 R66s have been manufactured.
Wreckage on rail spur. Impact jarred a railroad car off rhe rails on industrial siding next to airport.
Robinson R66. Current model from Robison Helicopter Company. The firm has produced 12,000 units in various configurations since 1979. Plant in Torrance, California.