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BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio (AP) — A tree-trimming helicopter carrying an aerial saw has crashed in western Ohio, injuring the pilot.
The helicopter crashed Tuesday near Bellefontaine (behl-FOWN'-tihn), 45 miles northwest of Columbus. The cause is unclear.
The South Carolina company that runs the helicopter tells The Columbus Dispatch the crash critically injured the pilot, a 53-year-old man from New Hampshire.
Bellefontaine's mayor tells the Dayton Daily News the pilot was alert and conscious after the crash and was taken to a hospital.
West Liberty's fire chief says bystanders who witnessed the crash pulled the pilot from the wreckage and he had pain in his limbs.
The Dispatch reports the helicopter on Monday had cleared trees for a bike path as spectators watched. The helicopter has several blades that hang below it.
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