'It's Just A Tragedy,' Family And Friends Remember 2 Maryland Men Killed In Helicopter Crash
KENT ISLAND, Md. (WJZ) -- The cause of a deadly helicopter crash in Maryland remains under investigation after two men died when their aircraft went down in the Chesapeake Bay.
The fatal crash claimed the lives of two Maryland men; 38-year-old Charles Knight of Mount Airy, and 36-year-old Matt Clarke of Pasadena.
Both Knight and Clarke's bodies were recovered in the Chesapeake Bay after their helicopter crashed into the water just off of Bloody Point at the southernmost tip of Kent Island on Saturday.
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Seth Clute, Director of Helicopters in Fort Meade, said that he knew Knight personally.
"I worked with him very closely," Clute said. "It's just a tragedy. A lot of emotion."
Knight was a husband and father to a daughter and another child on the way.
"Mr. Knight is a graduate of our training program who qualified as a private pilot in this specific aircraft about a year ago," Clute said. "He's flown it frequently over the past year and sometimes several times a month."
Those closest to Clarke gathered at his parents' house in Pasadena.
Friends and family of Clarke tell WJZ that he was a loving husband and father to three.
In a statement, Clarke's wife described him as, "My husband, my best friend, my leader. The most selfless man I have ever met. I have hope and peace that I will see my very best friend again one day."
Those who knew both men hope to learn why their helicopter went down.
"It is something we're going to be asking questions about and struggling with for quite a while," Clute said.
Investigators said the cause of the crash is still unclear and it's not yet known if the pilot was able to call for help before the helicopter went down.
