Helicopter Crash Kills Two US Haiti Volunteers

Port au Prince, HaitiA helicopter crash in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, February 4 killed both occupants, the pilot and a former Wisconsin businessman.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">James Jalovec, 53, and pilot John Ward, 43, were returning to Haiti from the Dominican Republic, having completed a humanitarian mission, when their helicopter, a Robinson R44 II, crashed in mountainous countryside.

The helicopter was owned by James Jalovec, and some reports indicate it was virtually brand new. An investigation into the crash is underway.

James' 21-year-old son, Mark Jalovec, told reporters that his father had volunteered to spend a week in Haiti, using his own helicopter, to help the survivors in the earthquake-ravaged country.