BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — A man was killed Thursday afternoon when he was decapitated by a helicopter's rotor blade near Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

  • Salvatore Disi, 62, killed instantly
  • No foul play suspected
  • Incident still under investigation

Deputies responded Thursday afternoon to Flight Path Drive in Brooksville, where they learned that Salvatore Disi, 62, was one of two men working on jumpstarting a helicopter using a power cart.

Then, for an unknown reason, the helicopter reportedly jerked upward while the men were working on it. When it came back down, the helicopter's main rotor blades struck Disi in the head, killing him instantly.

The incident remains under investigation. 

As of Thursday afternoon, other agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, were being contacted in reference to the incident, Hernando Sheriff Al Nienhuis said.

In a Facebook post, Nienhuis said Disi had been an acquaintance of his family for many years.

"He was a good man. This is so tragic," Nienhuis' post said.

No further information has been released.