Legal news for Maryland aviation accident attorneys. Helicopter crashes onto I-70 for unknown reasons on their way home from charity event.
The National Transportation Safety Board alerts Maryland aviation accident lawyers-helicopter crash occurred after charity event which offered helicopter rides.
Hagerstown, MD—Four people tragically died when the helicopter they were riding in crashed onto Interstate 70. The crash occurred on the eastbound lanes of I-70 at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2009, as reported by The Washington Post.
According to Washington County authorities, the helicopter was returning from a charity event in Hagerstown, where they were offering helicopter rides to benefit a troubled youth charity. The helicopter reportedly waited two hours after the event to fly back to Frederick because of foul weather conditions. It is unknown if the foul weather played a factor in the tragic helicopter crash. Aviation accident investigators stated the aircraft was observed flying at a low altitude when an arc of electricity lighted up the sky. The helicopter apparently hit live power lines on its way down. Officials say it is unclear whether the chopper was already on its way down when it hit the power lines, or if the power lines caused the crash. When rescue teams arrived on the scene of the aviation accident, the helicopter was already engulfed in flames. The helicopter reportedly ripped down trees, along with the live power lines and flung debris across the Interstate.
The identities of the four helicopter occupants are currently being withheld until authorities can contact the immediate families of the victims. So far, authorities stated the pilot and two other occupants were employees of Advanced Helicopter Concepts, based in Frederick. The fourth victim is believed to be a friend of theirs. No motorist’s traveling on the interstate were reportedly hit during the helicopter crash. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) http://www.ntbs.org are on the scene of the accident and are conducting a full investigation.
Justice Correspondent: Nicole Howley-Legal news information for Maryland lawyers representing aviation accident plaintiffs.