Florida man crashes small homemade helicopter into house

  • Bradley Bates crashed his homemade helicopter into an Odessa, Florida home
  • No human was inside the home at the time of the crash; a dog was uninjured
  • Bates was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition

A Florida man has crashed his homemade helicopter into a house, authorities say.

Bradley Bates, 51, called 911 Monday evening after his small aircraft came to a rest on the roof of a home in Odessa, Florida, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release.

No one was at the home at 9450 Roberts Road at the time of the crash, reports WFLA. 

Bradley Bates, 51, crashed his homemade single-seat helicopter into a home in Odessa, Florida

Bates was taken to a hospital in stable condition. No humans were in the home at the time of the crash. A dog in the home was not harmed

Bates was taken to a hospital in stable condition. No humans were in the home at the time of the crash. A dog in the home was not harmed

A dog that was inside was not injured.

Bates was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

The single-seat helicopter was hand-built by Bates himself, according to the local sheriff. 

Neighbors said he was in the air for about 20 minutes before the fall.

Tim Peterson told WFLA: ‘I heard a spluttering noise and a loud slam….I looked straight back and I could see the tail rotor hanging out of the house.’

The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately known. He crashed less than four miles from his own home, reports Fox 13 News.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.

Assessment of damage to the home has not yet been completed. Its power has been shut off due to the crash. 

The homeowners declined to comment on the crash to ABC Action News.

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