Pilot Killed as Sikorsky S-76D Crashes in Fog Near Huntersville, W.Va.

HUNTERSVILLE, W.Va. — A commercial pilot was killed Friday morning when a Sikorsky S-76D helicopter crashed near Huntersville, West Virginia. The aircraft, registration N93RT, was destroyed during a Part 91 positioning flight, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

The helicopter departed a private hangar near Glenville around 7:10 a.m. EDT with the pilot tasked with picking up the aircraft's owner. The pilot, identified by West Virginia State Police as Leo Basile, 57, of Arthurdale, was the sole occupant. The helicopter was owned and operated by WACO Oil & Gas Co., Inc.

Weather Conditions Under Scrutiny

Preliminary NTSB data and witness accounts indicate low visibility was a factor in the accident. Witness video showed the helicopter flying approximately 100 to 150 feet above ground level beneath cloud ceilings estimated between 200 and 250 feet. Other witnesses reported heavy fog, saying the aircraft was partially obscured before it struck trees on a mountain slope roughly 0.15 nautical miles southeast of the intended landing zone. The NTSB has recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorder combination unit for analysis. The investigation remains ongoing.