Divers and troopers remain on the scene this morning of a helicopter crash in the Washington County, Va., side of the South Holston Lake. The first 911 call came in at 10:33 p.m. Friday (August 24, 2012) about the crash. The helicopter, a Bell 407, crashed into the lake shortly after takeoff from a nearby residential property. The corporate-owned helicopter had been ferrying passengers from the Bristol Motor Speedway to the residence. The helicopter had just dropped off the passengers and taken off when the crash occurred. Only the pilot was onboard at the time of the crash. Virginia State Police Search and Recovery Team (SRT) dive members spent much of the night searching the wreckage for the pilot. This morning, the SRT is bringing to the scene a side-scan sonar to assist with the search for the pilot. The helicopter also remains in the water, upside down. Now that it’s daylight, the state police will work to remove the wreckage. The depth of the water at the crash site is approximately 25 feet. The FAA is responding to the scene this morning.(WJHL)(8-25-2012)
