William Bart Colantuono died in a tragic helicopter accident in an Oregon forest on Tuesday. Colantuono was the helicopter pilot from Season 3's Ax Men, which is covered by the History Channel.
On a trip spent moving logs out of the forest, something went terribly wrong for the 54-year-old. Although officials don't know what exactly the problem was, witnesses of the crash said that they saw the pilot release his logs before he crashed, meaning that he knew something was wrong, reports TMZ.
Witnesses also observed the rotor breaking off the helicopter, flipping the vehicle and causing it to crash upside down.
According to Ax Men's website, Colantuono was a senior helicopter pilot with over 15,000 hours of flying experience. His description says, "Bart is a smart pilot who isn't afraid to take risks. He's been flying for a long time and views helicopter logging as a competitive sport. He competes against himself, against the machine, and against the weather...Bart has a lot riding on his shoulders, and he believes he's ready for the challenge."
History Channel took to their Facebook page to express their sympathy to the pilot's family, saying, “We are extremely saddened to learn that a member of the Ax Men family, Bart Colantuono, passed away yesterday. All of us at HISTORY and Original Productions, along with our Ax Men team, would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Bart. He was an important part of Ax Men when he appeared in Season 2 & 3 and his talents will be greatly missed.”
Officials continue to investigate the incident
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
