Tuesday’s helicopter crash in Charlotte, North Carolina, claimed the lives of two WBTV employees, according to the station.
According to the station, the two staffers who died in the disaster were the meteorologist Jason Myers and the pilot Chip Tayag.
“The WBTV family is grieving a terrible loss. Our news helicopter Sky3 crashed mid-day Tuesday with two of our colleagues on board,” WBTV said in a statement. “We are working to comfort their families in this difficult time. We appreciate the outpouring of support for our staff and your continued prayers for their families.”
The National Weather Service and the Carolina Panthers were just two of the local and national groups that Tuesday expressed their support for the station on Twitter.
Around 12 p.m., Charlotte police were first made aware of the crash along Interstate 77 on the side of the road. According to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, when officers arrived, they found two bodies already dead.
According to Jennings, no other vehicles were involved. The chief claimed to have heard that the helicopter’s pilot may have changed course to avoid colliding with other vehicles.
“If that is truly the case then that pilot is a hero in my eyes to make sure that the safety and security of those that were driving on the road were not in jeopardy, ” he said.
According to Jennings, who spoke to the media, he does not foresee any imminent restoration of traffic near the incident site.
According to Jennings, police have secured the crash site while they wait for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration to arrive to conduct an investigation.
