More detail on this person: WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) -- A decorated Vietnam veteran died after his helicopter crashed into a Williamsburg townhouse on Sunday night. One of the townhouse residents, 91-year-old Jean L. Danylko, was also killed in the crash, which sparked a fire that firefighters battled for hours on Sunday. The Red Cross says at least 10 units have also been displaced and more are expected to be affected as heavy machinery moves in to clean up the wreckage. On Monday, the helicopter's tail number was released by the National Transportation Safety Board and it's registered to Henry E. Schwarz. An aviation source confirmed to 10 On Your Side that Schwarz was the pilot of the helicopter. The source tells us that the crash happened at a home on Settlement Drive about four minutes after Schwarz took off from the Williamsburg-James City County airport. Schwarz was the president of the Virginia Helicopter Association and had been at the airport for a meeting. 10 On Your Side contacted an attorney in Northern Virginia who said he is representing Schwarz's estate. Our investigative team also reached out to the Schwarz family, who declined to comment. Schwarz was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot who served in the Vietnam War. He led more than 100 combat air assaults and received 29 medals for performance and service to the country. He was also a member of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and a member of the Wilbur Wright Chapter, National Capital Region, according to Sheldon Goldberg with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. Schwarz was a commercial pilot who flew a R44 Raven II, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The helicopter is manufactured by California-based Robinson Helicopter Company. The helicopter had four seats, but the pilot was the only person on board when it crashed, said NTSB spokesman Doug Brazy. Our investigative team spoke with Ladd Sanger, a Texas attorney and helicopter pilot, whose firm has represented dozens of people injured in R44 crashes. He said the number of crashes for the R44 over the past several decades are disproportionally high. 10 On Your Side reached out to RHC, which sent this statement Monday afternoon: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, loved ones, and friends of those affected by the accident. Robinson's accident investigators are onsite assisting the FAA and NTSB with the investigation. At this early stage of the investigation, Robinson does not have any further information to report. According to the NTSB, in 2018 there have been 11 crashes involving R44 helicopters in the United States. Three of those crashes were fatal. According to the RHC specification sheet, the R44 has an altitude restriction of 9,000 feet "to allow landing within five minutes in case of fire." In 2006, RHC released a safety notice that advised pilots to wear fire-retardant clothing when flying the company's helicopters and light planes. "There have been a number of cases where helicopter or light plane occupants were severely burned by fire following an accident," the statement reads. In 2010, RHC put out notice that R44 helicopter owners needed to get a bladder fuel tank retrofit to "improve the ... fuel system's resistance to a post-accident fuel leak."
This information was last updated 07/10/2018
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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