Crime & Safety
Chopper Sets Down in Bethpage Park as Precaution
Poor visibility forces pilot to land on golf course; chopper was headed for Republic.
A helicopter inbound to Farmingdale's Republic Airport was forced to make an emergency landing at one of the golf courses at Bethpage State Park Monday.
The pilot told Nassau County Police that poor visibility and not mechanical problems was the cause of his decision to land on the Green Course at Bethpage. He described it as a "precautionary landing."
No one was hurt, police said. The pilot was the only passenger aboard the seven-seat chopper.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters, told Newsday the pilot was flying under visual flight rules and was not authorized to fly using only instruments. The pilot hit dense fog approaching Farmingdale and decided to land in a wide open space, police said.
The flight originated in Kearny, N.J. and set down in the park shortly before 6:30 a.m. Monday, police said.
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