Washington D.C. — A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board is providing some details about the helicopter crash earlier this month that killed seven people including West Virginia coal executive, 60-year-old Chris Cline. Along with Cline other crash victims were his daughter, 22-year-old Cameron Cline, 22-year-old Brittney Searson of Florida, 22-year-old Jillian Clark from Louisiana, 22-year-old Delaney Wykle, Beckley, WV, 52-year-old Geoffrey Painter of Barnstaple in the United Kingdom and the helicopter pilot, 57-year-old David Jude of Kermit, West Virginia. The report states the helicopter began spinning before it crashed into the ocean near the Bahamas. The aircraft was enroute to Florida to get two passengers’ medical treatment. Eric Weiss, spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the tailboom was found about 1.6 miles southwest of the accident site and was recovered in pieces except for one tail rotor blade which was not located. As for the main body of the Agusta AW139 helicopter, “The helicopter was found inverted,” Weiss said. “All five main rotor blades were separated but recovered.” The NTSB could take up to two years to conduct a full investigation. The aircraft is now at a secure site in the United States.

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