2 dead after utility helicopter crashes onto barge in Mississippi River

A utility helicopter being used for maintenance struck a power line along the Mississippi River and crashed onto a barge in West Alton, Missouri, on Thursday morning, killing two people and catching on fire, the authorities said.

The fiery crash, which sent a thick plume of smoke rising from the barge, happened at about 11 am near the border of Missouri and Illinois, about 20 miles north of St Louis, according to the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The St. Charles County Police Department confirmed the two fatalities and said there were no other injuries.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said that the two people killed were on the helicopter and that there was no one onboard the barge at the time of the crash. The victims were not publicly identified.

The helicopter was deployed to perform maintenance on the power line when “for some reason,” it “got into the power line, causing it to crash on to the barge below,” Cpl. Dallas Thompson, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said in a statement.

Ameren, an electrical company, said in a statement that a contractor and subcontractor were repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on lines in the area.

“We are saddened about today’s tragic incident,” the company said in its statement. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the victims’ families and colleagues. We will cooperate with the investigation.”

Wallace Maier, 37, who takes people fishing on the Mississippi River for a living, said he was out with a group when they saw the helicopter hit the line.

“It touched that line, and in two seconds, it just disintegrated that helicopter and went into a ball of fire and landed on this barge down below it,” said Maier, who goes by “Captain Wally.” The helicopter appeared to have broken up “into a thousand pieces,” he said.

He called 911 and then tried to go closer to help, Maier said. That was when he noticed that the barge had “flammable” written on it, he said.

“That could have been a way bigger catastrophe if that would have ignited,” he said.

Power lines dropped into the water, providing another danger, he said. For safety, he said he took his clients back to the riverbank. When the police arrived, they ordered everyone out of the water, he said.

The helicopter involved was an MD 369, according to a statement from the NTSB.

The crash temporarily closed the Lewis and Clark Bridge going into Illinois, the Illinois State Police said. It was unclear when it would open again, said Trooper Shannon Barrea, a spokesperson for the state police.