73-year-old longtime pilot dies in helicopter crash in woods, New Hampshire officials say

A helicopter crashed in the New Hampshire woods, killing its 73-year-old pilot, according to state officials.

Soon after taking off from Croydon on the evening of Oct. 8, the aircraft vanished from JBI Helicopter Services’ radar, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

It had been scheduled to land in Quonset, Rhode Island, later that night, but never arrived.

State and local officials initiated a search for the missing aircraft, and shortly before 2 a.m. on Oct. 9, the wreckage was located in the woods of Croydon.

“The helicopter had sustained substantial damage and the pilot, who was the sole occupant, was found deceased,” officials said.

The pilot was identified as Carl Svenson, a 73-year-old resident of Loudon, New Hampshire. He had been a pilot for about a half-century who started working for JBI Helicopter Services during the 1980s.

“Located at our heliport in Pembroke, NH, JBI Helicopter Services has been providing reliable, safe, professional services to customers in the Northeast and throughout the country since 1983,” the company’s website says.

McClatchy News has reached out to the company for comment.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, officials said.

This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 6:31 PM with the headline "73-year-old longtime pilot dies in helicopter crash in woods, New Hampshire officials say."