A Citrus County Sheriff’s helicopter was forced to make a hard landing on U.S. 19 late Tuesday night due to an engine malfunction.
It happened around 11 p.m., south of the Crystal River airport. There were two people on board at the time.
The pilot, who was doing patrols, was evaluated at an area hospital for possible minor injuries and later released. The co-pilot was not hurt.
The aircraft was towed from the scene.
A section of U.S. 19 was shut down overnight, but is now back open.