A Jackson man was killed in a helicopter crash in Newton County, Texas on Friday afternoon, according to KJAS.com.
Jason Wimberly, 51, was killed when his helicopter crashed approaching a fuel truck off of Farm to Market Road 1414, about 6 miles northeast of Newton., officials said.
The aircraft was registered to Callaway Land Management in Lumberton.
According to Wimberly’s brother Michael Wimberly, Jason Wimberly was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot during his Army career.
“His love for piloting didn’t end with his military service; it carried over into his civilian life, where he most recently worked as a helicopter crop duster in Texas, a job that allowed him to continue doing what he loved most,” said an obituary posted on Michael Wimberly’s Facebook page.
Michael Wimberly also posted about his brother’s wild sense of adventure.
“My brother Jason has always been known as a crazy son of a bitch. Whether it’s driving a boat 60 miles per hour and jumping out of it… flying helicopters 50 feet above the ground or lighting a dumpster on fire and rolling it down the street,” he wrote. “Today the helicopter he was flying missed its mark on the landing trailer and flipped over. The wild streak caught up with him, and I am sad to say that my parent’s son, my brother, and our beloved Uncle Jason won’t be coming home. Please keep us in your prayers. God Speed Captain Jason Wimberly.”
A person on the ground standing next to the fuel truck was injured when he was hit by a landing skid, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be conducting the investigation into the crash.
According to his obituary, “Jason is survived by his parents, Andy and Christy Wimberly; his brother, Michael Wimberly, and sister-in-law Leigh; his sister, Katie McAlister, and brother-in-law Greg; as well as numerous nieces and nephews who adored him. He was preceded in death by his mother, Dianne “Dee Dee” Wimberly, and his maternal and paternal grandparents.
