PIGEON FORGE, TN — The Pigeon Forge Police Department has released the names of victims that died in a helicopter crash in Pigeon Forge on Monday afternoon.
The pilot of the sightseeing helicopter, operated by Smoky Mountain Helicopters, is Jason Dahl, 38, of Sevierville.
The four passengers on the helicopter include Johna Morvant, 49, of Kodak, Tenn. and her two children Peyton Rasmussen, 22, and Parker Rasmussen, 18, both of Huntersville, North Carolina, which is just north of Charlotte.
Michael Genn Mastalez, 21, of Prosper Texas was also killed in the crash.
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PIGEON FORGE – A newspaper in North Platte, Nebraska said family has confirmed the identities of three people that were killed when a helicopter crashed Monday in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Family said Peyton Rasmussen, 22, Parker Rasmussen, 18, and their mother were among those who were killed in the crash, the North Platte Telegraph reports. Butch Rasmussen, the grandfather of Peyton and Parker Rasmussen, told the paper the family had been living in North Carolina. He said the children were visiting their mother when they decided to go on the sightseeing tour.
According to her Facebook page, Johna Jochum Morvant is the mother of Peyton and Parker Rasmussen. She was living in Kodak, Tenn.
Pigeon Forge Chief of Police Jack Baldwin said they can’t release the identities yet. He said police are working with the medical examiner’s office and federal agencies, checking dental records to make sure they have the proper identities confirmed before releasing information.
WATE-TV has reached out to family members and working on getting more information on the victims killed in the crash. Identities of a fourth passenger and the pilot, operated by Smoky Mountain Helicopters, have not been released.
