Pilot, meteorologist killed in WBTV News helicopter crash in Charlotte
WEEKEND WILL STAY DRY AND HOW
MUCH COULD BE A MESS.
>> RIGHT NOW AT 5 O'CLOCK,
WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE
TO WBTV EMPLOYEES WHO WERE
KILLED WHEN THEIR HELICOPTER
CRASHED IN CHARLOTTE.
METEOROLOGIST JASON MYERS AND
PILOT CHIPPED A HUG ARE BEING
REMEMBERED BY THEIR CO-WORKERS
AS DEDICATED EMPLOYEES AND
FRIENDS. IT HAPPENED THIS
AFTERNOON ON I-77 SOUTH OF
CHARLOTTE. THE HIGHWAY WAS
CLOSED FOR SEVERAL HOURS.
>> IN THE LAST HOUR, THE STATE
DOT IN CHARLOTTE TWEETED THEY
ARE WORKING TO REOPEN 2 LANES
OF SOUTHBOUND TRAVEL. ONE LANE
WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL ABOUT
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US. I'M DEBRA
MORGAN AND I'M GERALD OWENS.
WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS
HAPPENS, IT RESONATES WITH MANY
OF US IN THIS BUSINESS. OUR
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH
THE WBTV FAMILY TONIGHT.
>> AS THEY WORK THROUGH
THIS TRAGEDY, THE RESULT OF HIS
ARRIVED IN CHARLOTTE AFTER
NAVIGATING A LOT OF TRAFFIC
WITH THE CLOSING OF I-77.
LIZ, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US AT
THIS HOUR?
>> JOE, GOOD EVENING. YOU CAN
SEE THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME WERE
ACTUALLY OFF. I-77 RIGHT NOW
ON TRYON STREET AND IT JUST
GOES UP AND DOWN IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS. SO EVEN THOUGH THE
REOPEN THOSE LANES, IT'S STILL
REALLY BACKED UP HERE. AND
WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE
2 VICTIMS IN THIS HEARTBREAKING
TRAGEDY. SHIP TAY AG A 20 YEAR
PILOTS WHO'VE BEEN WORKING FOR
THE STATION FOR 5 AND
METEOROLOGIST JASON MYERS, WHO
LEAVES BEHIND 4 CHILDREN.
THEY BOTH HAD WIVES AND
FAMILIES. SO HEARTBREAKING AS
WE ALL TRAVEL SEE OUR OWN LOVED
ONES FOR THESE HOLIDAYS.
AND THE SCENE, WE'RE LEARNING
MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, BUT
WE STILL DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY
THAT HELICOPTER CRASH. THE FAA
AND NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD ARE BUT SOME
PRELIMINARY UNOFFICIAL DIETA.
A REAL-TIME FLIGHT TRACKER APP
CALLED FLIGHT RADAR. 24 SHOWS
THAT THE HELICOPTER CIRCLED
BEFORE TRIED TO LEANNE AND THAT
THERE WAS A DROP IN SPEED.
A DRAMATIC DROP AND SPEED UP
BEFORE IT WENT DOWN. WE HEARD
FROM SOME EYEWITNESSES SAW THEM
POSTING ON TWITTER, SOME ABOUT
WHAT THEY SAW THAT COOPERATED
WITH THAT DATA. A MAN AND MANY
SAID THAT THEY WERE GRATEFUL
THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND WHERE
HE DID. HERE'S ONE EYEWITNESS
AND WHAT HE SAW.
>> MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT HE
APPARENTLY KNEW HE WAS IN
TROUBLE AND HE CIRCLE LOOKING
FOR A PLACE TO PUT THAT DOWN
AND ON THE SECOND CIRCLE.
I DON'T THINK HE HAD ANY
CHOICE. IT WAS GOING DOWN AND
HE WE'VE GOT TO JUST OFF THE
HIGHWAY AND AVOIDED IT COULD
INJURE A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> AND IT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO
I-77 SO CROWDED. SO MANY MORE
LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN LOST.
AND SOME OF THE EYEWITNESSES
SAID THAT THEY SO THE THEY SAW
HIM MAKE OR THEY SAW THE
HELICOPTER MAKE A MANEUVER THAT
MADE IT SEEM LIKE HE WAS TRYING
TO AVOID THE HIGHWAY. AVOID
OTHER SOMETHING THAT THE
CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE
DEPARTMENT EARLIER TODAY CALLED
HEROIC IN CHARLOTTE. I'M LIZ
MCLAUGHLIN, GERALD, BACK TO
YOU. VERY SAD DAY THERE IN
CHARLOTTE. LIZ, THANK YOU.
>> CAROL, WE CONTINUE TO GET
REACTION HERE IN THE WRAL LIVE
CENTER TONIGHT ON BOTH OF THESE
MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES.
>> JASON MYERS WENT AND
GRADUATED FROM NC STATE AND
WORKED OUT AT RDU MANY IN THIS
COMMUNITY HERE IN THE TRIANGLE
KNEW HIM AND GOVERNOR ROY
COOPER TWEETING ABOUT THIS HERE
LATE THIS AFTERNOON SAYING THIS
IS A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY FOR THE
WBTV FAMILY AND WE ARE PRAYING
FOR THEM AND ALL THOSE WHO WORK
IN THE MEDIA TO KEEP THE PUBLIC
INFORMED ANY NEW INFORMATION
ON THIS CRASH. WE WILL KEEP
YOU UPDATED RIGHT HERE IN THE
LIVE CENTER THIS EVENING.
AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN
I-77 FULLY REOPENS. BUT AS LIZ
WAS MENTIONING, IT COULD BE
SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE IT'S