MYAKKA CITY, FL — Sad news coming out of Manatee County this morning after a 63-year-old helicopter pilot was killed Thursday night while conducting mosquito control operations in Myakka City.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, multiple 911 calls were received around 8:54 p.m. last night (October 15), reporting an aircraft crash near Dakin Dairy Farms.
Deputies and emergency crews responded to the 10,000 block of 289th Street East, where a Manatee County Mosquito Control helicopter had reportedly struck a private radio tower before crashing into a wooded area behind several homes.
Nearby residents rushed to the wreckage and pulled the pilot, identified as 63-year-old Isaac Moore, from the helicopter. Moore was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was the aircraft’s only occupant, and no other injuries were reported.
Authorities confirmed that a second Mosquito Control helicopter was conducting routine spraying operations in the area when the crash occurred. That aircraft landed safely nearby.
The tragedy comes as the Tampa Bay area continues battling a significant outbreak of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness.
The crash remains under investigation, with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board to determine what led to the deadly accident. Nothing further at this time.
SOURCE: MANATEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
