6 dead in southern W.Va. helicopter crash (wsaz.com)
6 dead in southern W.Va. helicopter crash
LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Ray Bryant, the Chief of Operations for the Logan Emergency Management Authority, confirms six people have died in a helicopter crash Wednesday evening.
The identities of the victims haven’t been confirmed, but Bryant says the passengers were not local.
He says the helicopter was a Vietnam-era Huey based out of the Logan airport and was used for tourism flights.
Bryant says at this time it’s not confirmed exactly what went wrong during the flight. The helicopter crashed onto state Route 17 along Blair Mountain. Bryant says it was on fire when crews arrived at the scene, and firefighters put the fire out.
FAA officials report the Bell UH-1B model went down near state Route 17. That’s in the Kelly Mountain area.
The Logan County Sheriff’s Department had confirmed a crash earlier. According to the Logan County Office of Emergency Management, state Route 17 is closed in that area. There is no word on when it will reopen.
The FAA reports that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of the crash investigation. Online resources show that the Bell UH-1B helicopter is nicknamed the “Huey” and was extensively used during military operations, including in the Vietnam War.
Additional details are unavailable, but we have crews at the scene.
The road is expected to remain closed for at least 24 hours.
Bryant says one of the owners of the helicopter showed up at the scene after the crash.
The National Highway Safety and Transportation Board and FAA are scene.