Rescue personnel look over the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed Saturday morning near Lead Mine on Monday. The helicopter was part of a crew working on wire installations for Allegheny Energy’s Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line. One crew member was killed in the crash.
By The Associated Press
The Associated Press
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LEAD MINE, W.Va. — Federal investigators are at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed a member of a crew installing wire for Allegheny Energy’s Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line in Tucker County.
Allegheny spokesman Doug Colafella says the crash occurred after three lineworkers had finished work and boarded the helicopter Saturday morning.
The name of the lineman killed in the crash hasn’t been released.
Colafella says the linemen worked for PAR Electrical Contractors from Kansas City, Mo. The pilot works for Winco Power Line Services from Aurora, Ore. Both companies are owned by Houston-based Quanta Services Inc.
Colafella says PAR and Winco are subcontractors on the TrAIL project. The 500-kilovolt line stretches from Pennsylvania through West Virginia to Virginia.
A WingCo helicopter crashed while working on the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) Saturday near Leadmine Road in Tucker County, claiming the life of one crew member.
“They were installing shield wire to the transmission structure,” Allegheny Power spokesman Doug Collafella said.
Kansas City, Missouri based Par Construction Company was subcontracted to work on the TrAIL project and WingCo supplied the helicopter. Collafella said there were four people on board when it crashed and one of the crew was killed. The remaining three were transported by helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.
The helicopter went down in area Collafella described as “very remote.” However, the site could be seen from Route 219 about three miles from the Preston County line.
West Virginia State Police Sgt. J.L. Clay said the Parsons Detachment of the state police secured the scene and the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration responded around 5 p.m. on Saturday.
According to Collafella, the cause of the accident is still under investigation and the NTSB, FAA and contractors will be at the scene today. Collafella said the names of the victims are not yet being released.
POST-TRIBUNE STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
LEAD MINE, W.Va. — A Portage man has survived a helicopter crash near Lead Mine, W.Va., that killed an electric lineman, an Allegheny Energy spokesman said Monday.
Federal authorities continued their investigation of the crash that occurred Saturday morning after a crew had finished installing wire for Allegheny’s Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line, Doug Colafella said. The pilot and two other linemen were taken to a Morgantown hospital and have since been released.
Killed in the accident was Gary L. Bland, 52, from Georgia, Colafella said.
Ryan Joseph Lange, 31, of Portage, survived the crash along with Jeffrey M. McKay, 34, of Olive Hill, Ky., and Robert A. Rogers, 40, of Dacula, Ga.
Colafella was uncertain which man was the pilot.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, Colafella said. The helicopter went down in the power line’s right of way after the linemen had finished attaching wires to a transmission tower.
“We’re terribly saddened by this accident,” Colafella said. “I can’t emphasize enough what a priority safety is on this project.”
The linemen worked for PAR Electrical Contractors from Kansas City, Mo. The pilot works for Winco Power Line Services from Aurora, Ore. Both companies are owned by Houston-based Quanta Services Inc.
PAR and Winco are subcontractors on the TrAIL project, Colafella said. The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire counties in West Virginia.
The West Virginia State Police have released the names of three of the four people aboard a Wingco helicopter that crashed in Tucker County on Saturday. The crew was working on the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) off of Leadmine Road near Thomas.
In a prepared statement, state police said, “The helicopter was being used to pick up the subjects from the top of a large metal power line tower. The helicopter apparently maneuvered underneath the suspended wires and may have struck the wires causing the crash.”
According to the statement, Ryan Joseph Lang, 31, of Portage, Indiana, Jeffery M. McKay, 34, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, and Robert A. Rogers, 40, of Dacula, Georgia, were all aboard the helicopter when it went down. The three injured occupants were flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for treatment.
“A fourth passenger on the helicopter was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries received in the crash,” the statement reads. “The identity of the 51-year-old male has been withheld pending notification of next of kin.”
Went to the Kroger and picked up a few more things for the “cookout”, I really need to do a cookout in a big way sometime soon.
Hadn’t realized it but the trash pickup occurred this morning, even the recycling. I’m glad Brian brought out the trash can and had it in front of the garage, otherwise they wouldn’t have taken it at all. I woke up about 7am and got up to put the recycling out although they didn’t do that until much later. Did a walk around the yard, I need to cut back the bushes on the side of the house and the azaleas on the other side as well.
Went out to the pool about 1pm, met the pool manager a cute blond quite talkative actually, or maybe she was just bored 🙂 The sun kept going in and out and then it started to drizzle, almost a mist actually. I went out and put up the top on the car, since it wasn’t stopping even though the sun was continuing to shine even with the drizzle. Finally, about 2:20 the rain stopped and the sun came out. I headed on back home to cook out after 3.
Everyone bailed on us for the cookout, I wanted only a small get together but this was a bit much. Fired up the grill, finished the food and had a feast. The guacamole was great, the veggies actually good for me and I watched the latest episode of “V”. Had a nice dinner with the brother.
My parents should be in town on Tuesday or Wednesday so I canceled on Becky, I’m definitely NOT feeling the love there, whatever we did have there has basically just withered away a real shame.
Ended up over at the Taco Mac by the mall for a beer, had the Southern Tier Inequity India Black Ale, very yummy and finished my 175th beer on Taco Mac list 2, now I’ve got my $20 gift card and I’ll be retiring that list.
Here is the beer I had the night before after getting back from the Olde Towne Tavern with the Rogers gang.
I did very little but slink around the house most of the morning, I did go to the Home Depot and pick up a few things for the yard and a couple of 4×8 sheets of white wallboard to use as a floor for my white wall. I then had lunch over at the ‘Shroom and got into a cool conversation with Lauryn and Lucia about evolution and such. Noticed Lucia has some gray hairs since she was wearing her hair down today, very sexy.
After getting home and playing around and helping ChrisW move in a bit along with moving the TV down to the curb hoping someone will pick it up. Brian and I headed over to Taco Mac for the tapping of the Rogue Double Mocha Porter Cask at 5pm we stopped in at Lowe’s and a furniture place to possibly pick up stuff but didn’t get anything big after all. Met up with Dan and Kathy, then Jeff and Jeannie as well. Also, Jason the manager’s girlfriend, Monica -hotness, was sitting next to us as well as Jason’s Dad from England. Also had a Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, aged in bourbon casks. We went on home after that and just hung out watching TV.
When we drove up Chris’s light was on but then went off when I decided to head over to Beef’s, watched a bit of Basketball there and then stopped in at Kroger before heading on home (walked, it was nice outside).