Six people died after a helicopter used for tourist flights crashed on a West Virginia highway on Wednesday.
The helicopter, which was at an airport in Logan County, crashed on State Road 17 near a rural area and was set on fire when rescue teams arrived, officials said.
Ray Bryant, Logan’s chief of operations, confirmed there were no survivors.
Mr Bryant described the helicopter as a Bell UH-1B from the Vietnam War, a useful single-turbocharged military helicopter with two blades on the main and tail rotor, built in 1962.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board have sent investigators to the scene. State Route 17 was expected to remain closed for 24 hours during this investigation.
“A Bell UH-1B helicopter crashed near Rt 17 in Logan County, West Virginia, around 5pm local time on Wednesday,” the FAA said in a statement. “Six people were on board.”
“The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be responsible for the investigation and will provide additional updates. ”
The cause of the crash remains unclear, but according to the Logan County Emergency Management Service, there was a strong thunderstorm in the area during the incident.
In response to the crash, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice wrote on Twitter: “Cathy and I are praying for the families of those killed in this tragic helicopter crash.”
The helicopter, owned by Marpat Aviation, was used during an annual gathering this week for a charity event, according to the New York Times.
Anyone can pay a $ 250 fuel donation and fly a helicopter for 30 minutes without being a pilot, while others can ride with a small donation, the website said, according to the report.
The helicopter from the Vietnam War era has strong followers among aviation enthusiasts and has starred in a number of hit films, including “Die Hard”, “The Rock” and “The Guardian of Salvation”.
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