The Bell UH-1B helicopter crashed around 5 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The helicopter, known as Huey, crashed on a country road, Logan County Office of Emergency Management Director Sonya Porter told CNN.
The Vietnam War-era helicopter was based at Logan County Airport and was used to provide tourist flights, said Ray Bryant, chief operating officer of the Emergency Management Authority of the United States. Logan, to CNN affiliate WSAZ.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found that the helicopter had burst into flames and extinguished the fire, Bryant said.
Bobbi Childs, who lives a mile from the crash site, called 911 and rushed to the scene when he saw the helicopter begin to get out of control, he told CNN affiliate WSAZ. When he got there, he saw that at least one person was trapped in the helicopter, which had exploded in flames, he said.
“I ran as fast as I could, got under the railing and got on the helicopter,” he told WSAZ. “But the fire was so hot, so intense, and that boy didn’t get out of there.”
After the crash, one of the owners showed up at the scene, Bryant told WSAZ, though he did not name the owner.
In a tweet Wednesday night, Gov. Jim Justice said, “Cathy and I are praying for the families of those killed in this tragic helicopter crash.”
Logan County is near the Kentucky border.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, the FAA said.