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Grandfather On His Way To Family Escapes Fiery Helicopter

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 68-year-old grandfather was injured Sunday in a helicopter accident in Corcoran.

Police say the man was on his way to visit his grandkids when the accident occurred. Corcoran Police, Rogers Police, Rogers Fire and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office responded to the report of a single-engine helicopter crash around 10:30 a.m.

Officers say when the helicopter landed on the helipad at a private residence, it started to spin and the tail hit a nearby unoccupied trailer and caught on fire.

The victim's son, Stefan Svard, witnessed the incident.

"Within a few seconds the fire started, I ran out with extinguisher," said Svard. "We got him out. We got his jacket off that was burning. Like I said, he's just fine, but my extinguisher is no match for 20 gallons of fuel."

Crews removed the man from the helicopter. They say he suffered minor burns in the incident.

Svard says the chopper is a Robbinson 22 and that his dad is a seasoned pilot.

The FAA is investigating the incident.

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