Two feared dead in Mississippi River helicopter crash

At least two people were inside a Hughes 369D helicopter that crashed on the Mississippi River late Thursday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The chopper hit a barge on the river near the Illinois-Missouri border around 11 a.m. local time, the FAA said. Missouri State Highway Patrol told the Associated Press that the two people inside the aircraft were killed. No other injuries were reported because the barge was empty at the time of the crash.

What caused the helicopter to crash? Initial investigation showed that the helicopter crashed after colliding with power lines, National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Sarah Taylor Sulick told WORLD Thursday afternoon. The aircraft caught fire after crashing into a barge on the river, she said. A full investigation will begin on Friday when an NTSB investigator will arrive on the scene and begin the evidence recovery process, Sulick added.

Dig deeper: Read my report on a fatal helicopter crash into the Hudson River earlier this year.