Mississippi crash: Two dead after helicopter crashes into barge on river; FAA, NTSB to investigate

Two people were killed Thursday morning when a helicopter struck a powerline and crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, sparking a fire.

A video shared by a witness online shows thick black plume of smoke rising from the barge shortly after impact.

The crash occurred around 11 am, about half a mile downriver from the Alton Dam. “The helicopter ran into a powerline and crashed,” said Rivers Pointe fire district chief Rick Pender, as quoted by AP.

Cp Dallas Thompson of the Missouri state highway patrol confirmed that both victims were inside the helicopter. No one else was injured.

The barge, which was unoccupied at the time of the crash, briefly caught fire. Authorities say the fire has since been extinguished.

Following the crash, commercial river traffic in the area was halted.

Emergency crews, including fire, EMS, and law enforcement, responded swiftly to the scene. “Federal agencies are on the way,” Pender said.

The federal aviation administration and the national transportation safety board will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.