Two people died on Thursday when their helicopter struck power lines and crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, officials said. The helicopter was working on power lines when the accident occurred, sparking a fire that sent plumes of black smoke into the air.
No other injuries were reported, and no one was on the barge at the time of the crash, according to Corporal Dallas Thompson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The crash happened around 11am about half a mile downriver from the Alton dam.
Witness Adam Briggs captured video of the scene, saying, “The helicopter was just working on these power lines, it hit the power line, blew up. There was a pilot, there was a worker, the helicopter blew up and fell and crashed the barge and it’s exploding right now.”
A spokesperson for Ameren, the power company, confirmed that a contractor and subcontractor were repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on the lines. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the victims’ families and colleagues,” the spokesperson said, adding that they would cooperate with the investigation.
Firefighters from Alton rushed to the site by boat and were assisted by a private tugboat to douse the fire. The river has been closed to commercial navigation. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The NTSB said an investigator was expected to arrive on Friday. The helicopter was identified as an MD 369.
