2 dead in helicopter crash near I-77 in south Charlotte

Table Of Content

• Timeline of events: Deadly helicopter crash in Charlotte
• NBC News
• NC man wins $1M after buying $10 ticket at gas station
• Final NTSB report released after deadly news helicopter crash in Charlotte
• Newsfeed Now: Rescue of kids lost in Texas forest …
• Conservative Christian cellphone company wins control over four Texas school boards
• Final report released after fatal NC helicopter crash

"The WBTV family is grieving a terrible loss. Our news helicopter Sky3 crashed mid-day Tuesday with two of our colleagues on board," the station said in a statement. "Our news helicopter Sky3 crashed mid-day Tuesday with two of our colleagues on board," WBTV said in a statement. A television news helicopter crashed along an interstate highway in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, killing a meteorologist and a pilot for a local station, officials said. A helicopter crashed on the side of an interstate highway in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, killing two people.

Timeline of events: Deadly helicopter crash in Charlotte

The crash happened along Interstate 77 at Nations Ford Road in south Charlotte, which resulted in the death of the pilot and meteorologist. It’s heartbreaking to hear stories of Jason Myers and Chip Tayag from their colleagues, but they offer a glimpse of how important they both were to the @wbtv_news family and our community. We share our condolences with their friends and families during this difficult time. Channel 9 learned that the Charlotte Flight Standards District Office with the FAA began canvassing the crash site Tuesday. The local FAA is in charge of looking into other safety standards of this flight, including the flight history, pilot training, and any audio recordings.

NBC News

His family asks that donations to HOPE in Lancaster County be made in lieu of flowers. While specifics have not yet been released, the NTSB has a standard process it typically follows in the aftermath of an aviation crash. The lawsuit alleges the pilot didn’t perform flight inspections and emergency engine failure procedures adequately. It argues the company that owned the aircraft is liable for those mistakes. The pilot was in contact with Charlotte (CLT) air traffic control tower at the time; however, a review of the communication recordings did not reveal any calls of distress. See the full press conference held by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police below.

NC man wins $1M after buying $10 ticket at gas station

NTSB investigating fatal helicopter crash in south Charlotte - WSOC Charlotte

NTSB investigating fatal helicopter crash in south Charlotte.

Posted: Wed, 23 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The purpose of the flight was to provide training for the staff meteorologist over a simulated news scene. The altitude and and flight path of the helicopter on Flight Aware show the flight lasted approximately six minutes before crash landing along the interstate. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon and said they would not be releasing any information about the helicopter or the victims at this time. "Every single day in this newsroom, Chip would wave at you, say hello, ask you how you're doing. He'd wave from behind the pilot's chair of the helicopter," Boll said. "Jason Myers, I could go on and on. He would bound through this newsroom with incredible energy and smiles and just cared about everybody here ... We are devastated." WBTV meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag were killed in the crash, which occurred midday Tuesday near Interstate 77, WBTV said.

The family of a meteorologist who was killed last year in a helicopter crash in North Carolina is suing a maintenance facility and the companies that owned and operated the aircraft. Tuesday, the crash had shut down all southbound lanes of Interstate 77, officials told WJZY, an affiliate of CBS 17. (WNCN) — The helicopter that crashed in the Charlotte area early Tuesday afternoon has been identified as a media helicopter of WBTV in Charlotte.

Newsfeed Now: Rescue of kids lost in Texas forest …

Two dead after TV chopper takes 'evasive action' to crash near I-77 in North Carolina - The Independent

Two dead after TV chopper takes 'evasive action' to crash near I-77 in North Carolina.

Posted: Tue, 22 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

It has far surpassed its original $15,000 goal as donors have contributed more than $70,000 as of writing. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. You can read the NTSB’s full Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report here. Gov. Roy Cooper offered his condolences to the station and the North Carolina press corps at large. He began working for WBTV in 2017 and celebrated his three-year wedding anniversary in August, according to his Instagram page.

"If that is truly the case then that pilot is a hero, in my eyes, to make sure the safety and security of those driving on the road was not in jeopardy." The television station, WBTV, identified those killed in the crash, which occurred around noon along southbound Interstate 77, as Jason Myers, a meteorologist, and Chip Tayag, a pilot. The helicopter, a Robinson R44 nicknamed Sky3, was from the station. Jennings called the pilot a "hero," as the helicopter crashed just off the interstate, missing traffic and preventing additional loss of life. The crash happened around noon between Tyvola Road and Nations Ford Road along the southbound side of I-77.

No vehicles on the highway were involved in the accident, according to police. Additional hardware was installed backward, which probably happened three years prior during a field overhaul of the Robinson helicopter, the NTSB stated. The Robinson R44 was in flight to train meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag. Tayag and Myers were training in a simulated news scene during the flight. NTSB officials determined inadequate inspections by the pilot and maintenance personnel led to hardware loosening on the aircraft, which contributed to the crash.

She told Channel 9 the helicopter went down right beside her. The nearly two-and-a-half-minute video showed Mr. Myers cooking on the air, delivering the weather forecast and covering numerous news stories. WBTV remembered its colleagues both on and off the air.

WBTV Meteorologist Jason Myers and Sky3 pilot Chip Tayag were identified as those who died. Fighting back tears, anchors Jamie Boll and Molly Grantham mourned their colleagues while providing updates during a broadcast that carried on uninterrupted for hours. They included witness reports that Tayag prevented the helicopter from crashing onto Interstate-77 during a busy week of holiday travel. Meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag were identified as the people killed in the crash in a statement by WBTV — and by coworkers who'd been reporting on the crash live from the station's studio. Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks said the EC-135 helicopter was traveling to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, when it crashed in Macon County.

— The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released a preliminary report on the helicopter crash near Interstate 77 in North Carolina that claimed the lives of two WBTV employees, WSOC-TV reported. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police confirmed in a Tuesday afternoon press conference that no vehicles on the interstate were struck in the crash and that the helicopter came down in a grassy area to the side of I-77. The aftermath of the crash was captured by highway traffic camera footage, which showed police cars crowded around the crash site. Police said the southbound lanes, which were otherwise empty, of I-77 near Nations Ford Road would remain closed "for an extended period of time" in an update shared to Twitter. "It seemed the pilot that was operating the aircraft made some diversionary moves to avoid hitting traffic," said Jennings.

It remained unclear Tuesday what caused the Nov. 22 crash. Tayag was in contact with the air traffic controller at Charlotte Douglas International Airport at the time, according to WSOC, and officials said there were no calls of distress. The crash claimed the lives of Tayag and meteorologist Jason Myers, WSOC reported. The lawsuit “is about seeking answers as to what caused the helicopter crash and to hold the responsible parties fully accountable for Jason’s death,” said Gary Robb, Jillian Myers’ attorney, in a statement.

Authorities blocked access to I-77 in the area of the crash for hours. There were no vehicles involved in the crash, which happened just after noon Tuesday. "Witnesses indicated that the pilot made diversionary moves away from the highway to save lives. Because of his heroic acts, there were no further injuries or vehicles on the highway involved in the incident." Meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag died in November after the Robinson R44 helicopter crashed along a Charlotte-area interstate. Police praised the pilot for saving lives of drivers by avoiding the roadway.

“The pilot is a hero in my eyes,” said Johnny Jennings, chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, in a statement on the day of the crash. In a recent public statement, WBTV expressed appreciation for the continued support from the Charlotte community and beyond following the incident. During the third turn, the helicopter entered a rapid descent and impacted a grassy area adjacent to the southbound lanes of I-77. Police are working to open two lanes of traffic on I-77 as soon as possible.

"He did his best to put it down ... Whoever the pilot was, did their best to put that thing down where it wasn't going to injure a lot of people, and in that respect, they did a fabulous job." "You never know what's in somebody's head, but I think that he absolutely knew that he was going to have to put that down," he said. "Whoever the pilot was, did their best to put that down where they weren't going to injure a lot of people." "He's really banking that helicopter around to get a shot of something. But then on his second pass, I knew that something was not right. And he just continued that steep bank until boom, he disappeared out of sight."