SEBRING, Fla. — Two people were killed and another person injured after a gyrocopter crashed on top of two mobile homes at a Sebring mobile home park Tuesday afternoon, Highlands County deputies say.

  • Helicopter crashes into Sebring mobile homes — 2 killed
  • Highlands Sheriff's Office: 3rd person on the ground was injured
  • Deputies: No one is thought to have been inside mobile homes

The gyrocopter, piloted by Christopher Lord, crashed shortly after take-off from Sebring Airport. Sheriff's deputies said the homes and the gyrocopter were consumed by fire after the crash.

"We were out on our sun porch and all the sudden we heard this great big explosion," said resident Dennis Need. "And I said to my friend, my neighbor, 'I smell smoke," and we both looked up and it was just like a whole big thing of smoke, and we came over, the place was ablaze."

The crash destroyed one mobile home and the siding off of a second home. Lord and his passenger, Christopher Brugger, were both killed.

A person who was on the ground working on a house was injured taken to a hospital.

The Sheriff's Office said they first got a call about the crash just after 2:45 p.m.

No one was inside the mobile homes at the time of the crash, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Other neighbors we spoke to said they could hardly believe what they were seeing.

"It was like something out of space," said resident Jenny Bilyeau. "It really and truly is like something out of space. It's eerie. It's just eerie."

Residents told us the homeowners of the house that was destroyed usually come down for the winter. They don't know what those homeowners' plans are for now, but the people here say they'll be here to support their neighbors.

"A home can be replaced," said Bilyeau. "A life cannot."

FAA investigators will begin looking into what caused the crash Wednesday morning.