Helicopter ops on Cessna airplane: Night-vision goggle 02/05

Tampa police posted the video taken by the helicopter camera showing the dramatic rescue. The grainy, night-vision video shows the plane hitting the ground. After the helicopter landed, the video shows Gentry running to the wreckage and rescuing the pilot, with the engine compartment glowing from heat. “We were just doing our jobs,” Dennison said. “The real hero is the pilot. He was in a bad situation and he avoided causing injuries to others.

Airport officials said Love had sent out a radio distress call that his instruments indicated low oil pressure. According to the Federal Aviation Administration website, the Cessna lost power and landed short of the runway on the north side of the airport. Love was the only one on board, the FAA said.

“Thanks to the quick thinking and heroic actions of the Tampa Police Department’s helicopter crew, the pilot of the single engine plane that crashed late Thursday night is alive,” said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano. “Officers Brian Gentry and Dave Dennison truly are Tampa’s finest.”