FL Man Dies In WV Helicopter Crash That Kills 6 People: Report

WEST VIRGINIA — A Florida man was among six people killed after a helicopter tour crashed Wednesday afternoon on a rural roadway in Logan County.

The Vietnam-era aircraft came down near Blair Mountain and was being used as part of an annual flying event that reunites fans of the historical Bell UH-1 Iroquois, referred to as “Huey,” helicopter, according to the Washington Post.

Bradenton native Don Sandhoff, a retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot, was one of those killed in the crash.

The 69-year-old graduated from Southeast High School in 1971 and enlisted in the Army in 1972, serving for 22 years, according to the Bradenton Herald. He was last assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as an executive officer in an aviation unit.

Sandhoff’s sister, Janet Mixon, who co-owns Mixon Fruit Farms, told the Herald that their family is “very patriotic.”

She said, “My father served in World War II. When our older brother, Bill Sandhoff, was drafted into the Army, my father re-enlisted and served with Bill in Vietnam.”

Don Sandhoff’s son, Carl, also later joined the Marine Corps in 1994.

He was living in Durham, North Carolina at the time of his death, according to his obituary at DIgnityMemorial.com.

Mixon Fruit Farms shared the news of his death on its Facebook page Thursday, writing, “Don worked at Mixon for years. Our hearts are broken and he will be missed by many.”