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UVALDE, Texas (KTRK) –
A couple who has just been married for an hour and a half was killed Saturday night when their helicopter fell in Uvalde, Texas.
The groom's grandfather, William Byler, confirmed to Eyewitness News that the plane crashed on Saturday on the family ranch. His grandson, Will Byler, Will's new wife, Bailee Ackerman, and the pilot of the plane, Gerald Green Lawrence, all died in the accident.
Eyewitness News spoke to Lawrence's daughter-in-law, Amilyn Willard, who said he was captain in the military and had fought in Vietnam.
I spoke with the daughter-in-law of the pilot who stated that the flight path was a routine for his father-in-law and that he had flown it several times. The family is shocked by the accident and knows something is wrong when she did not hear from anyone a few hours later.
– Charly Edsitty (@ CharlyABC13) November 5, 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board in the investigation of the accident involving a Bell 206B helicopter. The accident occurred about 15 miles northwest of Uvalde, according to NTSB information.
The couple's wedding portal on the planning website The Knot also confirmed that their wedding would be held Nov. 3 in Uvalde on the family ranch Byler. The engagement photos also show Byler in his cowboy hat embracing Ackerman.
Students at Sam Houston State University were surrounded by family and friends as they flew into the family helicopter.
A wedding guest shared a video of the couple 's lavish departure aboard the convicted plane:
After learning of the fatal crash of the newlyweds, the Sam Houston State University rodeo team went on Facebook to share their condolences.
On Monday afternoon, NTSB officials said the helicopter was flying through the air for five to ten minutes when it crashed into a rocky hill.
Craig Hatch, an aviation safety investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board, said the wreckage was scattered on the hill that sits above a rugged terrain about 80 miles away west of San Antonio.
The helicopter belonged to William Byler's family and Lawrence was a family rider for years.
The couple was supposed to be flown to San Antonio where he had to fly to his honeymoon destination.
Hatch says it's too early to determine the cause of the accident, but that a preliminary report from the NTSB will be released in about two weeks.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Charly Edsitty on Facebook and Twitter.
(Copyright © 2018 KTRK-TV All Rights Reserved.)
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