A helicopter crashed on the Mississippi River close to St. Louis, killing two people.

At around 1100 hours on Thursday, a Hughes 369D utility helicopter hit electrical transmission lines over the Mississippi and crashed onto the barge’s deck and caught fire.

When the incident occurred, a contractor was repairing the warning lighting and the marking balls on transmission wires.

The balls make the wires stand out to aircraft and birds. They enable flotation if a wire falls into the water.

The helicopter was working close to the wires and helping workers install the marker balls when the casualty occurred.

According to Wallace Maier, a fishing guide on the Mississippi, the helicopter broke apart and caught fire when it touched the power line.

The two people inside the helicopter were killed in the crash. There was nobody on the barge when the incident occurred.

The fire was put out quickly; however, the extent of any damage to the ship was not known.

After the helicopter touched the power lines, many dropped into the water and the river was closed to navigation for the time being, along with the Clark Bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has started the investigation into the crash.

Source: www.marineinsight.com