A helicopter pilot and a meteorologist who worked for a North Carolina television station died Tuesday when a news helicopter crashed along an interstate highway in the Charlotte area, according to authorities and the station.
WBTV, the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, identified the victims as pilot Chip Tayag and meteorologist Jason Myers.
“The WBTV family is grieving a terrible loss," the station said in a statement. "Our news helicopter Sky3 crashed mid-day Tuesday with two of our colleagues on board."
The helicopter crashed on the side of Interstate 77 around 12:20 p.m. local time. No vehicles were involved.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings said it appeared the pilot acted heroically before the helicopter crashed.
Police said that no vehicles on the ground were involved in the crash. Preliminary witness accounts indicate that the pilot made some “diversionary” maneuvers and “tried to avoid injuring anyone else” and “probably saved some lives,” Jennings said.
According to WBTV, Tayag had been with the station since 2017. He was reportedly a pilot for more than 20 years.
Myers was from the Charlotte area. He returned to North Carolina after a career that crossed the country.
He leaves behind a wife and four children.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation into the crash along with the FAA.
