NTSB: Pilot did not clear cliff in crash that killed newlyweds

Preliminary report says the pilot was 100 feet too low

UVALDE, Texas – The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report into the helicopter crash that killed a newlywed couple and the pilot.

The report says the helicopter crashed into the side of a 1,450-foot hill and it was shy 100 feet from the top of the hill.

The newlyweds, Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler, and the pilot, Gerald Lawrence, had just departed the wedding on Nov. 4. They were only 5 miles east of the ranch where they got married when the helicopter crashed, the report said.

First responders had to tie the wreckage to keep it from rolling down the hillside, according to the NTSB. This prevented investigators from getting a detailed look at the crash site.

A full detailed report will be released once the investigation is complete.

 


About the Author:

Brina is the Executive Producer of the NightBeat and KSAT Explains. She has been with KSAT since 2015. She is a Houston native and proud to call San Antonio home.