SABLE makes precautionary landing in Ogden Park

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A helicopter from the South Eastern North Carolina Airborne Law Enforcement (SABLE) had to make a precautionary landing in Ogden Park.

A Wilmington Police Department crew was conducting a joint training flight with a partner agency when a warning light came on. As a precaution, the chief pilot set the aircraft down safely in Ogden Park without injury to anyone on the ground.

The crew on board was also unharmed during this landing.

“Once the aircraft was on the ground, the mechanic for the SABLE Unit came out,” said Wilmington Police Lt. Greg Willett. “They’re checking the aircraft out and trying to diagnose the problem.”

Chief Donny Williams has been in constant communication with other SABLE partners during this incident. 

“I am very proud of our chief pilot and the flight crew for how they were able to manage this incident,” said Chief Donny Williams. “As a reminder, SABLE is a partner program between the Wilmington Police Department, Leland Police, Pender County Sheriff, and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Right now, crews are working to remove the aircraft and return it to the hangar for the proper repairs. We will be working with our contract mechanic to determine the cause of the precautionary landing to make sure that this does not happen again in the future.”

The SABLE Aviation program has been in existence since 2007. A Wilmington Police spokesman says: during that time, the unit has had a perfect safety record.