Larry Erickson, 58, killed, and Mike Chapman, 65, critically injured in experimental gyro-copter crash near Dakota City, Iowa

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Iowa '€” A Humboldt man was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday night and another suffered severe injuries. Fifty-eight-year-old Larry Erickson, the pilot of an experimental gyro-copter, died from his injuries after the copter came down north of Dakota City around 7:00 p.m. The passenger in the aircraft, 65-year-old Mike Chapman, was severely injured and taken to a Des Moines hospital by air ambulance. His current condition is unknown. The investigation into what caused the crash continues.

A small, experimental helicopter went down in Humboldt County last night killing one person on board and critically injuring the other. Humboldt County Sheriff Dean Kruger says the pair was taking pictures of Chapman'€™s acreage. It`s unclear what caused the gyro-copter to suddenly lose altitude and plummet to the ground.