Who were Jason Myers and Chip Tayag, WBTV News employees killed in helicopter crash in Charlotte, NC?

In a tragic turn of events on Tuesday, Jason Myers and Chip Tayag, two employees of TV channel WBTV News, were killed in a helicopter crash in south Charlotte, North Carolina along Interstate 77.

Post their death, the station released a statement that read, “The WBTV family is grieving a terrible loss,” adding, “Our news helicopter Sky3 crashed mid-day Tuesday with two of our colleagues on board.” “Meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag lost their lives. We are working to comfort their families in this difficult time. We appreciate the outpouring of support for our staff and your continued prayers for their families”, the statement added.

Who were Jason Myers and Chip Tayag?

Jason Myers was a meteorologist employed with WBTV. He grew up in the counties of Union and Catawba. Myers pursued his higher education from North Carolina State University, from where he graduated in meteorology with a specialization in communication. Myers’ first employment was with Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where he provided the control tower with weather updates.

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Before his stint with WBTV, Myers had worked in Abilene, Texas for KRBC-TV, in Richmond, Virginia for WRIC-TV, and in Lexington, Kentucky for ABC 36, where he was the Chief Meteorologist.

Myers and his wife Jillian were friends since childhood. They were parents to four children.

Chip Tayag was the pilot of the helicopter, Sky3, that crashed and resulted in his and Myers’ death. He had been serving in his position since 2017. Tayag had an experience of two decades flying helicopters.

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After the accident, it came to light that Tayag did not lose his nerve in his dying moments and made sure the helicopter crashed away from a densely populated area so that loss of life could be kept at a minimum.

Johnny Jennings, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief, said during a press meet, “That pilot is a hero in my eyes to make sure that the safety and security of those that were driving on the road was not in jeopardy,”