A collection of townhouses in WIlliamsburg, Virginia, caught fire after a helicopter crashed into them. The FAA has not released any details regarding why the helicopter crashed, and at this time, police have revealed that one person is dead. The crash occurred on the 1100 block of Settlement Drive, in the Bristol Complex, sometime just before 5 p.m. William and Mary College confirmed that the townhouses are not a part of their campus.
Troopers on the scene confirmed that the one known fatality is that of someone that was inside one of the townhouses when the crash took place. The name of the victim is Jean Lonchak Danylko, and she was 91 years old. There are no details on how the victim died. As of the latest update, crews were working to locate and identify the pilot, according to WAVY , who had a crew on scene.
Naval Air Force Atlantic Commander Dave Hecht confirmed that the helicopter was not an asset from nearby commands.
According to updates posted on the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily , residents of the area stated that first responders were on the scene very quickly and did an excellent job evacuating the area. At this time, area airports are being contacted to try to find out where the aircraft came from, and the FAA is on the scene and is continuing to investigate in conjunction with the NTSB.
Fire crews are still on site working with other agencies as the search for the pilot continues. The structural safety of the area is still not considered safe enough for in-depth investigations. So far, no one none to live in or regularly visit the area has been reported as missing according to CNN , so authorities believe Ms. Danylko and the pilot will be the only human fatalities.
#FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors have arrived at the scene of a helicopter accident in Williamsburg, VA. We will release more information as soon as we have confirmed details. Please contact local officials for information about the situation on the ground.
— The FAA ?? (@FAANews) July 8, 2018
An official statement and press conference held by the NTSB is expected sometime Monday afternoon.
