Authorities say six people were killed when a helicopter crashed as activists reunited with a historic plane Wednesday evening in W.Va, Logan County.
Sonia Porter, deputy director of emergency management at the Logan County office, said the helicopter crashed on Route 17 near Mountain. The hill in the southern part of the state is called Kelly Hollow.
Ms Porter did not know what caused the crash.
“At the time of the accident, I think the weather was clear,” he said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft was a Bell UH-1B helicopter manufactured in 1962. Ray Bryant, who was at the scene of the crash and the head of operations at the Logan Emergency Ambulance Service Commission, said its tail number was N98F.
The N98F helicopter is owned by Marbat Aviation, which had an annual reunion for the “Hui” helicopters this week, nicknamed the aircraft. Its website states that one can book to fly a helicopter without being a pilot.
The website states that a donation of $ 250 is required to fly in a helicopter for 30 minutes and pay for fuel, while others can ride with a small donation. The crashed helicopter was used during the Vietnam War and will appear in movies including “Die Heart,” “The Rock” and “Baywatch”.
Mike Holbrook, owner and operator of Marpat Aviation, declined to comment. Two people who answered phone numbers related to the company hung up on a reporter.
The helicopter, which took off from Logan County Airport, crashed into a road and guard on a rural two-lane road. Bryant said. He said the helicopter was on fire when he arrived and that in his 35 years in the district’s emergency service, “there have been no accidents of this magnitude.”
After the crash, a woman said she quickly ran to the spot where the ducks were under guard. “I went up to the helicopter, but the fire was so hot, so intense,” said Bobby Childs. WSAZ-3 saidA television station in Huntington.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The names of the victims have not been made public.
