MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One person has been killed in a crash involving a small plane apparently affiliated with a Montana oil and gas company that struck two West Virginia Public Broadcasting towers near Coopers Rock State Forest.
Monongalia County Sheriff Al Kisner and other officials confirmed the fatality on Friday but did not immediately identify the victim.
An aviation mechanic who helped shut down the power systems on the wrecked Beechcraft King Air 90 and make it safe to retrieve the body said the pilot was the only person on board. Mike Nichols of Aphelion Aviation in Morgantown said searchers looked for other victims but found none.
Nichols said the pilot had been flying in hazy conditions when he struck the towers, tearing down part of one structure and the cables between them.
Associated Press writer Matt Volz in Helena, Mont., contributed to this report.