A pilot has escaped unharmed after his chopper burst into flames in a Rotorua paddock.
The incident unfolded on Hawthornden Dr in Tikitere about 3.30pm today when the helicopter landed heavily in a paddock.
Shortly after the pilot escaped, it burst into flames.
Jenny Stanley-Clarke, owner of Hobbits Hideaway on Hawthornden Dr said she heard the helicopter come down, but didn't see it.