Warbird Information Exchange

YORKTOWN — The Federal Aviation Administration is continuing to investigate what caused a helicopter to crash in a field at Kitchawan Farm, officials said Saturday morning.

Two people on board walked away unharmed after their single-engine helicopter made a hard landing in the field and flipped over on its side about 6 p.m. Friday.

Yorktown police said the helicopter took off from Newton, N.J., and was headed to an airshow near Bridgeport, Conn.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the extent of damage to the helicopter, a Sikorsky S-55B, is under investigation and that the National Transportation Safety Board determines probable causes of accidents. The investigation could take up to a year, she said, though a preliminary report will be available in a week or two.

Initial reports indicated a malfunctioning fuel pump may have caused the crash, FAA officials said Friday.

Early Saturday, the helicopter remained on its side in the field as horses grazed nearby. The property owners refused to allow reporters onto the farm that grows vegetables, herbs and flowers.

“Sounds to me like the pilot knew what he was doing, that he landed in an area without a lot of trees,” said neighbor Frank Bergh.

Bergh, who lives across the street from Kitchawan Farm, said he was happy the helicopter did not land on his property where he has lived for 49 years.

According to the FAA, the helicopter was made in 1955 and seats 12 people. It is registered to Sparta Rotors in Newton, N.J. The company specializes in aerial photography, surveying, fire control and search and rescue. A message left at its New York City offices was not immediately returned.

In April, a single-engine plane crash-landed at the IBM research center, about a mile east of Friday’s accident. There were no serious injuries.