Overview

• A Hughes 369D conducting transmission-line work clipped power cables over the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, and crashed onto a barge at about 11:05 a.m.
• Both occupants aboard the helicopter were killed and there were no reported injuries or leaks on the barge, officials said.
• Fire crews from Missouri and Illinois extinguished the blaze and hazmat teams confirmed the downed power line was not live.
• Authorities have shut the Clark Bridge, blocked Lock and Dam Way and halted commercial navigation between mile markers 199 and 201.
• FAA and NTSB teams arrived onsite Friday to collect flight data, maintenance records and witness accounts as the formal investigation begins.