NTSB reveals new details about helicopter crash that killed newlyweds

Maggie Parker
Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman. (Photo: Facebook/Bailee Ackerman)
Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman. (Photo: Facebook/Bailee Ackerman)

The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report about the helicopter crash that killed a young couple right after their wedding.

According to the NTSB, a chopper operated by Vietnam veteran Gerald Green Lawrence collided with the side of a 1,450-foot hill on Nov. 3., missing the top of the hill by 100 feet. In addition to the pilot, the helicopter was carrying Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler, who had just gotten married on the groom’s family’s ranch in Uvalde, Texas, about 80 miles west of San Antonio.

The helicopter, which was registered to and operated by the Byler family construction company, W.T. Byler Co., took off around 11:45 p.m. It notes the incident time as 12:01 a.m. The weather was clear skies with 10 miles of visibility. A group of authorities and local volunteers found the wreckage around daybreak the next day, and the helicopter was completely destroyed.

First responders had to attach ropes to the mangled helicopter to keep it from rolling down the steep hillside — and the steep hill prevented authorities from conducting a full examination of the wreckage. So the remains of the helicopter have been transported to a salvage facility for a complete review at a later date, the report states.

According to local TV station KSAT, a complete report will be released once the investigation is complete.

The newlyweds were seniors at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, according to the Houstonian. He was studying agricultural engineering, and she was majoring in agricultural communication.

“These two spent their last day on this earth celebrating with their most cherished loved ones — I believe it truly was the best day of their lives,” Madi Wagner, their photographer and friend, wrote on Facebook. The post has thousands of mournful comments and 52,000 reactions.

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