By Vanessa Pacheco

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – We now know the identity of the pilot in a deadly helicopter crash in Jones County.

According to the Jones County Coroner’s Office, Jason Krakowiak, of Florida, was the pilot and only person on board the helicopter when it went down Tuesday morning.

According to Dana Bumgardner, Public Information Officer for the Jones County Fire Council, first responders received a call about the crash a little before 9 a.m.

Bumgardner said an MD 500 helicopter crashed into the woods in the Glade community just south of Tuckers Crossing off State Route 15 south.

She said the helicopter, which belongs to Signature Utility Service in Alabama, was in the area trimming trees off power lines when it crashed.

Bumgardner said Krakowiak was on his first flight of the day when the crash happened.

The helicopter burst into flames after the crash, and responding firefighters worked quickly to extinguish what appeared to be a magnesium fire, according to Bumgardner. She said magnesium fires are particularly difficult to extinguish.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.

https://www.wlox.com/2020/12/29/one-dead-after-helicopter-crashes-jones-county/?fbclid=IwAR1XitmrIDhvxGGzuCIMzEvlfaIjXYBWAYzlpQgZH1yYe6eVg2eBVEP0Z8U