Montgomery Gentry Band Member Dies In Helicopter Crash In Burlington County
MEDFORD, N.J. (CBS/AP) -- A member of a popular country band was one of two people who were killed in a helicopter crash in Burlington County, New Jersey on Friday afternoon.
The pilot, 30-year-old James Evan Robinson, declared an emergency and was trying to land the helicopter on approach when they crashed around 12:30 p.m. in a wooded area on Fostertown Road in Medford at the airport.
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Troy Gentry, 50, half of the country duo Montgomery Gentry, was extricated from the helicopter and transported to Virtua Marlton Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Robinson, who had just recently moved to Medford Township, was pronounced dead on the scene. Robinson was a native of Meigs Georgia and was a helicopter pilot at the Flight School located at the Flying W Airport.
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"It is with great sadness that we confirm that Troy Gentry, half of the popular country duo, Montgomery Gentry, was tragically killed in a helicopter crash which took place at approximately 1:00 p.m. today in Medford, New Jersey," the band said in a statement.
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The statement continues, "Troy Gentry's family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time."
One individual was found dead at the scene and the other was transported to Virtua Marlton and pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration says that it was a Schweitzer 269 helicopter that crashed.
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Robinson was giving Gentry a tour of the area with the country band playing a concert at the resort attached to the airport tonight. That concert has been cancelled.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash.
Gentry was born on April 5, 1967, in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met bandmate Eddie Montgomery and formed a group based off their last names.
Montgomery Gentry had success on the country charts and country radio in the 2000s, scoring No. 1 hits with "Roll With Me," ''Back When I Knew It All," ''Lucky Man," ''Something to Be Proud Of" and "If You Ever Stop Loving Me." Some of the songs even cracked the Top 40 on the pop charts.
The band mixed country music with Southern rock. It was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009. The group released their debut album, "Tattoos & Scars," in 1999.
Gentry is survived by his wife and two children.
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