Two dead in helicopter crash near Interstate 77 in south Charlotte - WSOC Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — Two employees with a Charlotte tv presumption died successful a chopper clang that happened astir noon Tuesday successful southbound Charlotte.

The mishap occurred adjacent Interstate 77 astatine Nations Ford Road. MEDIC confirmed that 2 radical were pronounced deceased connected the scene.

At astir 3 p.m. Tuesday, WBTV released a connection confirming that it was the station’s chopper progressive successful the crash.

“The WBTV household is grieving a unspeakable loss. Our quality chopper Sky3 crashed mid-day Tuesday with 2 of our colleagues connected board,” WBTV said successful a statement. “Meteorologist Jason Myers and aviator Chip Tayag mislaid their lives. We are moving to comfortableness their families successful this hard time. We admit the outpouring of enactment for our unit and your continued prayers for their families.”

Sky3 aviator Chip Tayag and WBTV Meteorologist Jason Myers Photos courtesy of WBTV

The FAA released a connection Tuesday regarding the clang saying: “A Robinson R44 chopper crashed adjacent I-77 South and Nations Ford Road successful Charlotte, N.C., astir 12:20 section clip today. Two radical were connected board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board volition investigate. The NTSB volition beryllium successful complaint of the probe and volition supply further updates. Neither bureau identifies radical progressive successful craft accidents.”

CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said the aviator is simply a leader successful his eyes.

“It seems the aviator who was operating the craft made immoderate diversionary moves to debar hitting traffic,” Jennings said.

Investigators remained astatine the country into the nighttime with immoderate lanes connected I-77 reopened.

‘That chopper is going to crash’: Witnesses recount moments arsenic investigators excavation done evidence

Carolyn Russ was driving down Interstate 77 erstwhile she saw the clang unfold. She told Channel 9 the chopper went down close beside her.

“It was flying benignant of broadside to broadside ... and I knew instantly that chopper is going to crash,” Russ said to Channel 9.

“It started doing a nosedive and it turned astir and started going north, and it conscionable crashed into the crushed close connected the broadside of the road close adjacent to my car,” Russ added.

Witness Bridget-Ann Hampden said determination wasn’t immoderate fume oregon occurrence and the wreck was “eerily silent.”

She said it appeared the aviator divert distant from the engaged interstate.

“I truly consciousness that helium deliberately veered disconnected from the road due to the fact that erstwhile helium landed. He was not much than 5 feet from the lane I was in,” Hampden said.

Hampden said the aviator was a hero.

“Quite frankly, helium whitethorn person saved my life,” Hampden said. “Because I americium not definite what would person happened, you know? He was truthful adjacent to me.”

Russ said her bosom goes retired to the families of Tayag and Myers and their WBTV family.

“If you person radical who you love, archer them that you emotion them portion you can,” Russ said.

The investigation

Channel 9 learned that the Charlotte Flight Standards District Office with the FAA began canvassing the clang tract Tuesday. The section FAA is successful complaint of looking into different information standards of this flight, including the formation history, aviator training, and immoderate audio recordings. The NTSB, connected the different hand, volition beryllium a “recommending authority,” meaning they’ll travel successful and find the probable origin for the crash.

The NTSB said a preliminary study could beryllium retired wrong 4 to six weeks, but the last study whitethorn instrumentality 12-24 months to beryllium released.

An NTSB researcher was expected to get Tuesday nighttime and enactment done Wednesday morning, an bureau spokesperson said.

The wreckage volition beryllium recovered and taken to an off-site determination for further analysis.

The chopper was a Robinson R-44. Channel 9 asked Bryan Burns, the president of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, astir the craft itself.

“It’s a precise airworthy, precise coagulated grooming aircraft, typically for formation schools that folks are trying to their chopper licence in,” Burns said.

The NTSB’s last study volition astir apt incorporate a probable origin of the crash, on with immoderate contributing factors.

The skies were wide and conditions were comparatively calm erstwhile the mishap happened.

ABC News aviation adept Jim Nance said that whitethorn not matter.

“Helicopters are precise overmuch affected by wind, truthful conscionable due to the fact that it’s wide skies overhead, doesn’t archer maine the full tale,” Nance said.

He said helicopters are “incredibly safe.”

“But erstwhile thing goes wrong, due to the fact that it’s a helicopter, our attraction is riveted connected what happened,” Nance said.

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost with wsoctv.com for updates.

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