Medical examiners in the state of West Virginia have released the names of six passengers killed in the crash of a Vietnam-era chopper used for tours.
The plane crashed on Wednesday while making its final planned flight during Logan County’s annual gathering of helicopter enthusiasts. There were six persons on board, and regrettably, they were all killed.
The identities of those who died were made public on Saturday by the state’s top medical examiner. The following are their names: John Nagle, 53, of Austin, Texas; Donald Sandhoff, 69, of Durham, North Carolina; Kevin Warren, 51, of Franklin, Tennessee; Carolyn O’Connor, 73, of Winter Garden, Florida; Marvin Bledsoe, 64, of Chapmanville, West Virginia; and Jack Collins, 65, of Chapmanville, West Virginia
MARPAT Aviation, the company in charge of organizing the reunion, allegedly gave rides in a Bell UH-1B “Huey” helicopter, a type of helicopter used during the Vietnam War. This particular piece of information came from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The jet crashed around three miles northeast of Logan County Airport, which is about six kilometers away from the tragedy site. According to the agency, a significant portion of the wreckage was consumed by the fire that occurred as a direct result of the incidence.
Participants at the reunion had the choice of boarding or flying the vintage aircraft, which event organizers think is one of only a few that is still operational.
According to MARPAT, the helicopter was flown in Vinh Long, Vietnam, throughout the majority of the 1960s by members of the 114th Assault Helicopter Company, also known as “The Knights of the Sky.” After it had been brought back to the United States, the Huey was portrayed in three different movies: Die Hard, The Rock, and Under Siege: Dark Territory.
