Two people working on powerlines near the Mississippi River died Thursday when their helicopter hit the lines, crashed into a barge and sparked a fire that belched plumes of black smoke, officials said.<\/p>\n
The helicopter crew was near East Alton, Illinois, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of St. Louis, when it careened into the barge on the Missouri side of the river. Authorities said no other injuries were reported.<\/p>\n
Adam Briggs was fishing on the shore that morning, watching the helicopter zig-zag across the river and eventually pick up a worker with a marker ball to add to a line. <\/p>\n
After a brief glance at his phone, Briggs looked back up to see pieces of the helicopter plunging toward the barge, then he heard a bang and saw smoke. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was in shock and awe of what I was actually seeing, just disbelief,\u201d Briggs told The Associated Press. The veteran and former aircraft firefighter called 911 then starting filming and frantically describing the crash. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a pilot, there was a worker, the helicopter blew up and fell and crashed in that barge and it\u2019s exploding right now,\u201d he says in the video. Explosions continued for several minutes. \u201cThey\u2019re dead. They have to be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the power company Ameren said a contractor and subcontractor had been repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on lines. \u201cOur thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the victims\u2019 families and colleagues,\u201d Ameren said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The names of the workers who were killed have not been released.<\/p>\n
Aviation experts say this type of work is common for utility companies, but fatal crashes are rare.<\/p>\n
Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, said the pilot must be able to keep the helicopter hovering steadily in place and that investigators will consider if wind or a sudden change in the atmosphere played a role in the crash.<\/p>\n
Briggs said he felt a breeze but that it didn\u2019t appear very windy.<\/p>\n
Power lines are a key hazard for any helicopter pilot because they can be difficult to see, said Thomas Anthony, director of USC\u2019s Aviation Safety and Security Program.<\/p>\n
Anthony recalled an attendee at an aviation conference who approached him after Anthony gave a lecture and asked if he\u2019d had ever heard about \u201cthe dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHelicopter pilots all dream in fear\u201d about power lines, the man explained.<\/p>\n