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Officials identify helicopter pilot killed in fiery Va. crash

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Authorities are identifying the helicopter pilot killed when the aircraft crashed into a Virginia apartment building, sparking a fire and killing a resident inside.

Virginia State Police said in a news release Wednesday that the medical examiner has identified the pilot as 85-year-old Henry Schwarz of Alexandria, Virginia. His Robinson R44 crashed Sunday after it took off from the nearby Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport.

Charley Rogers, a lineman who oversees operations at the airport, said Schwarz was the president of the Virginia Helicopter Association and was headed home from an association meeting.

Some witnesses told National Transportation Safety Board investigators that the engine of the four-seat helicopter sounded “funny” or “unusual” before it crashed.

Police said 91-year-old Jean Lonchak Danylko, who lived in the apartment building, was killed when the helicopter crashed.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
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