Pilot in fatal helicopter crash identified

James F.A. Elliott died Monday while doing one of the things he enjoyed most in life — helping others learn how to fly.

Less than 24 hours after Elliott’s death, his good friend Alton Powell recalled a few fond memories of Elliott, who he referred to as “Jim.”

“I think he really enjoys his work, and often when he was working with student pilots who were less adept, he became concerned for them,” Powell said. “He was very concerned with his students, that they turned out to be good pilots.”

Elliott, 55, of Geneva, died Monday afternoon while serving as a flight instructor for a student pilot at Fort Rucker, Army Warrant Officer 1 Forrest Pryde. Though Elliott was killed in the crash, Pryde suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

Powell said Elliott was retired military. He worked as an instructor pilot for LSI Corp. and was in a TH-67 Creek helicopter with Pryde at the time of the crash.

According to Fort Rucker officials, the crash happened around 3:30 p.m. near Highfalls and High Bluff stage fields near Hartford. It’s unclear why the helicopter crashed.

Geneva County Coroner Max Motley, who responded to the crash, said Elliott appears to have died from the injuries he suffered in the crash. Motley said an autopsy will be performed in Montgomery to make a final determination about a cause of death.

“I’ve been to some privately-owned airplane crashes as coroner, but this is the first military aircraft I’ve dealt with,” Motley said. “It’s the first helicopter crash I’ve worked as coroner. It looked like it was made of an aluminum beer can because it was so crumpled up.”

Powell remembered Elliott as an avid bass fisherman and a devoted family man.

“Jim and I became pretty good friends. He was a very avid competition bass fisherman, but I was much more of a casual fisherman,” Powell recalled of his fishing buddy. “I’m saddened by his death, I really am. I think he was basically a good hearted, generous man.”