LOGAN, WV (WOWK) – The Logan County community is coming together tonight to cope with a tragic helicopter crash that killed six people Wednesday night.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Bell UH-1B helicopter, also called a “Huey,” crashed around 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 22 near Route 17 in Logan County, killing the captain and five others.

While not directly connected to the event, the crash happened during the town of Logan’s annual Freedom Festival, a time of year when the community is decorated with red, white and blue and signs of patriotism are everywhere you look.

Earlier today, people were out eating food from vendors on their lunch hour, but everyone in the community – those who knew the victims and those who didn’t – is deeply feeling the loss.

“They were great people and good for the community. Worked their whole lives like the rest of us. It is tragic for the families,” said Logan Resident Matsman Farley.

“Anytime you hear about something like that, your heart just goes out to the family – what a shocker,” Pat Teeters, a Logan resident. “Just pray for them that God will give them peace and comfort.”

For Logan Mayor Serafino Nolletti, this is a very emotional time. He and other city leaders are devastated but committed to honoring those who passed and the legacy of what this Huey, nicknamed “Miss Fit” meant to the community.

“We don’t want the tragic accident to put a stop to what we do here in our town, and it’ll still be a part of it,” Nolletti said.

The city plans to salute the lives lost and the Huey during a military salute scheduled for Saturday, June 25, 2022.

Michael Cline, Owner of the Hot Cup in downtown Logan, has been on the helicopter himself. He says this loss is tough on such a tight knit community.

“Anytime you have loss of life it is tragic, especially during an event where everyone is happy, but to know that you lost multiple people in such a horrible way is always really hard on a community,” says Michael Cline, Owner of the Hot Cup in downtown Logan. “I mean the thing that you’ll find about small southern towns like this is the time where we all come together tighter than ever to try to ease each others suffering, be there for each other and spread kindness when we can.”

The T-shirts for this year’s Freedom Festival were designed three weeks ago, and feature the Huey that crashed because the aircraft meant so much to this town and honored the military. Since yesterday’s tragic accident, they have decided that all proceeds from the sales of those T-shirts will be donated to a fund to pay for a memorial event.