Helicopter Crashes Into Barge

A helicopter crashed onto a barge on the Upper Mississippi River near West Alton, Mo., August 7 around 11:15 a.m. Two people in the helicopter were killed, but no one on the barge was hurt. The barge was moored on the right descending bank, just below Melvin Price Locks and Dam.

Cpl. Barry Bayles, public information officer for the St. Charles Police Department, said a utility company’s helicopter was performing maintenance on lines over the river when it crashed onto the barge, which was moored near the Maple Island Conservation Area.

Bayles said the helicopter caught on fire following the crash. He said law enforcement agencies were awaiting the arrival of representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash.

Local news media images included shots of Hines Furlong Line’s mv. Donna H. Furlong attempting to suppress the fire.

Illinois State Police said the Lewis and Clark bridge coming into Illinois was temporarily closed due to the incident.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the Upper Mississippi River was closed to vessel traffic in the area while the investigation was ongoing. Coast Guard officers were reportedly on the scene, and pollution assessment teams were on their way.