A helicopter, apparently experiencing engine trouble made an emergency landing on a largely vacant piece of land near the south end of Secaucus on Tuesday.
The police reported that at 7:44 a.m. a helicopter had landed in an area just south of the intersection of New County Road and County Avenue, near the underpass for the Amtrak rail line.
Historically, it was the location where swill – a food for pigs – was processed for many of the pig farms, but now was an open area just north of Allied Junction rail transfer station, with two unused buildings nearby.
“The helicopter was spraying against mosquitoes,” said Department of Public Works Superintendent Mike Gonnelli in an interview hours later.
Although early rumors claimed the helicopter had crashed, the police report listed it as “an unscheduled landing,” but sent police and emergency units to assist the pilot.
“We sent the usual people to make sure everything was okay,” said police officer Linda Magone, who released the details from the police report.
Magone also said that the police notified the Federal Aviation Administration, which will reportedly will investigate the incident.
“We do that every time there is this kind of problem,” Magone said.
The pilot told officials that he had to make the emergency landing because he was experiencing engine trouble. The Bell Jet Ranger II helicopter – which is a lightweight aircraft constructed to accommodate low level photography, stunt flying and aerial spraying – was assigned to spray against mosquitoes in the area near the International Post Office on County Avenue in Jersey City when its pilot, Barry Glenn , an employee of RACO Helicopter Corp. of Farmingdale, landed the craft on a sandy area at One New County Road in Secaucus. The property contained two unused buildings, officials said.
Police and members of the town’s fire rescue team who responded to the site found Glenn seated nearby, apparently unhurt.
Gonnelli said the flyer reported some back pain, but no required no immediate medial treatment. The aircraft, Gonnelli said, showed damage near the rear rudder – a devise used for steering the vehicle while in the air – as well as damage to the landing gear. Tanks holding the pesticide appeared undamaged, but the craft’s fuel tank had ruptured and members of the Secaucus Fire Department’s Hazardous Material team were required to spray foam around the aircraft to prevent the fuel from igniting.
Deputy Mayor John Reilly commended the police, fire and emergency medical teams. He noted that while this may not have been a critical emergency, no one could be certain of the situation when the call first comes in. “They responded in just the way they were trained to,” Reilly said.
Two years ago, a crash of a helicopter near the North Bergen border took out power lines, causing part of the town to black out, town officials said, expressing relief over the fact that there was no large impact this time.