West Virginia helicopter crash: Six dead after invite to pilot ‘oldest flying Huey’ without licence
Victims have not been named
A Vietnam War-era helicopter from the film Die Hard collided with a highway in West Virginia killing all six people onboard and left no survivors, authorities in Logan County have said.
Ray Bryant, the Chief of Operations for the Logan Emergency Management Authority, told reporters on Wednesday evening that the helicopter crashed on Route 17 after leaving the nearby Logan County Airport, where it is based.
It remains unclear what caused the Vietnam War-era Bell UH-1B helicopter to come down, authorities said, and an investigating involving the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSA) is now underway.
The helicopter was being flown by enthusiasts for a charity event, The New York Times reported.
Witness says one passenger was trapped
Bobbi Childs, a Logan County resident who witnessed the crash, told CNN affiliate WSAZ that the helicopter seemed to be out of control and crashed.
Ms Childs said she raced to the scene and when she got there, she saw at least one person was trapped in the helicopter, which was alight.
“I ran as fast as I could go and I went under the guardrail and I went up to the helicopter,” she told the local news outlet. “But the fire was just so hot, so intense, and that guy didn’t make it out of there.”
Helicopter was ‘probably oldest’ of its kind
The owners of the crashed “Huey” helicopter claim the aircraft was “quite probably the oldest flying Huey in the world”, in an “about page” on their website.
Mapat Aviation say the Bell UH-1B helicopter was deployed to Vietnam in 1962 before joining the 114th Assault Helicopter Company: “The Knights of the Sky” in Vinh Long, Vietnam.
The aircraft served in Vietnman for nearly a decade before returning to the United States in 1971, and in recent decades has been used for tourism flights and films – including Die Hard and Baywatch.
It was known affectionately as “Miss Fit”, which was painted on the helicopter body.
Everything we know already about the helicopter crash
From where the Vietnam War-era helicopter crashed to who was onboard and its flying history, here’s everything we know about what happened:
Six dead as Vietnam-era helicopter crashes during charity auction
Crash biggest seen by local official in 30 years
Ray Bryant, an emergency management chief for Logan County, West Virginia, said the crashed helicopter was possibly the worst he had scene in his 30-year career.
Mr Bryant said on Wednesday he had seen “no crashes of this magnitude,” according to The New York Times.
It came as a witness recalled running-up to the downed aircraft “but the fire was just so hot, so intense,” so she could not get close enough to save a trapped man.
FAA yet to verify aircraft number
In a statement provided to The Independent, the FAA said on Thursday that it was yet to verify the aircraft registration number of the helicopter that crashed in Logan County.
“After investigators verify the aircraft registration number at the scene, the FAA will release it (usually on the next business day)”,” the agency said.
The federal aviation body added that neither it or the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), who are leading the investigation into the crash, will be identifying the victims. The local sheriff’s office is likely to do so however.
‘There was a guy trapped’, says witness
Bobby Childs, a witness of the helicopter crash, told WOWK-TV about how she was unable to rescue a man who was trapped in the burning aircraft.
“I saw that there was a guy trapped, I guess the captain,” she told the local news station.
“I tried to get down to the door where he was at. You could see him plain as day. I tried to get to him, but the fire was too hot. I couldn’t get to him”.
Firefighters later extinguished the flames.
Family assistance teams sent by NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Wednesday night that a family assistance team and five investigators were sent to Logan County, West Virginia, following the deaths of six people in a helicopter crash.
West Virginia senator Joe Manchin pays tribute to victims
“Gayle and I are devastated to hear of the deaths of six people killed in a horrific helicopter crash in Logan County,” said the Democrat senator in a statement on Thursday.
“This is a heartbreaking time for the families, friends and loved ones of those in the crash, and I know our entire state feels this loss.”
He continued: “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and my staff and I stand prepared to support the Logan County authorities, first responders and entire community during this time of need.”
NTSB investigators due at scene this afternoon
A spokesperson for the NTSB told The Independent on Thursday that its investigators are due to arrive at the scene of the helicopter crash at about 3pm today.
An unpdate from the transport safety body is expected at some point.
Tributes paid to six people killed
Tributes to those killed by Wednesday evening’s helicopter crash in Logan County, West Virginia, have been paid by aviation enthusiasts and local businesses on social media.
That includes Mountain Laurel Integrated Healthcare, who said on Thursday: “Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with you all—and with the entire MARPAT Aviation team—at this difficult time.”
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