DAGSBORO, Del. -- A National Transportation Safety Board investigator said the helicopter that crashed Thursday in Dagsboro, Del., killing two people, was not equipped for instrument flight.

The NTSB's Brian Rayner didn't comment on the pilot's decision to take off in foggy conditions at night. The pilot didn't hold an instrument rating.

Watch Megan McGrath's Report

Real estate developer and Washington Capitals minority owner Josh Freeman was killed in the crash, along with the pilot, Danielle Howell.

The wreckage was strewn over a distance of about 180 feet. It appears the helicopter skidded along the ground, disintegrating as the rotors continued to spin. All four rotor blades were sheared off, and the tail section was broken off.

Freeman, 42, was president and chief executive officer of Carl M. Freeman Associates. The pilot was Danielle Howell, 30, of Richmond, Va.

Freeman, who lived in Olney, Md., was a former Green Beret soldier who in 1986 joined the real estate development company founded by his father. Freeman owned a small share of the hockey team through his stake in Lincoln Holdings LLC.

"We are truly shocked and saddened by the sudden, tragic loss of Josh Freeman, a good friend and partner in Lincoln Holdings," Washington Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. "All of us associated with the Capitals organization will lend our thoughts and prayers to the Freeman family."

The Carl M. Freeman Companies released a statement Friday.

"Josh will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to experience his tremendous generosity, leadership, and friendship," the statement read.

Authorities said the helicopter went down near Townsends Road off State Road 26 near Dagsboro. Dense fog blanketed much of the Delmarva peninsula. Much of that fog had burned away shortly after dawn Friday as state and federal investigators examined the scene.

Among the Freeman company's projects was Bear Trap Dunes golf club, where Freeman was supposed to be picked up by the helicopter pilot Thursday night for a trip to Maryland. Officials at Bear Trap announced Tuesday that the club was about to undergo a major restaurant renovation, with demolition and construction scheduled to begin next month.

Freeman had been attending a holiday party for Bear Trap Dunes employees, and left about 6 p.m. to attend another event in Washington, D.C., according to State Rep. Gerald Hocker, R-Ocean View, who also attended the party.

"Josh is such a nice guy that all his employees are like family," Hocker said late Thursday. "He gave them credit for making Bear Trap Dunes the community it is." Hocker added that Freeman invited him to his family's holiday celebration.

Hocker said he left the party shortly after Freeman did, and when he arrived home he heard the news that a helicopter had crashed near Dagsboro. "I told my wife that could be Josh Freeman," he said.

"Josh was a business person all the time, but I felt like he was a friend and a supporter of mine," Hocker added. "Wherever he saw you, he would come over and want to be with you. He was a friend to everybody that knew him."

State police spokeswoman Sgt. Melissa Zebley said police received a call from a local resident shortly after 5 p.m. about a helicopter that had landed on his property.

A state trooper sent to investigate was told by the pilot that she had planned to pick up Freeman at the golf club, but decided to meet him in the field because it was "outside the fog."

After picking up Freeman, the pilot took off, but the helicopter crashed about a quarter of a mile away, on the other side of Townsends Road.

The 1998 Bell 407 was registered to Full Service LLC of Washington, D.C.

Carl M. Freeman Associates was founded in 1946 by Joshua Freeman's father, Carl, according to the firm's Web site. It leases, manages and develops real estate in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Its shopping centers include the Village of Five Points in Lewes, Rhode Island Place in Washington, Rock Creek Village Center in Rockville, Md., and Van Dorn Plaza in Alexandria, Va.

Freeman was also chairman of the board of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which does charitable work in Montgomery County, Md., and Sussex County in Delaware, according to the foundation's newsletter. He also served on the board of the Washington Opera.

He is survived by his wife, Michelle, and three children, as well as his mother, Virginia, and three sisters.

Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for complete coverage.