Developing: Helicopter Crash Kills Two

On August 7, 2025, a tragic helicopter crash occurred on the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, approximately 20 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri, resulting in the deaths of two individuals aboard the aircraft. Below is a detailed summary of the incident based on the most recent information available from multiple sources.

• Time and Location: The crash took place around 11:05 a.m. local time near the 200-mile marker on the Mississippi River, about half a mile (800 meters) downstream from the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, close to Maple Island on the Missouri side of the river.

• Aircraft: The helicopter was a Hughes 369D (also referred to as an MD 369), a smaller helicopter commonly used for utility work.

• Cause of Crash: The helicopter struck high-tension power lines while engaged in maintenance work, specifically hanging large fiberglass spheres (aerial marker balls) to make the power lines more visible. After hitting the power line, the helicopter caught fire, exploded, and crashed onto a barge, sparking a fire on impact.

• Fatalities: Both individuals aboard the helicopter—a pilot and a worker—were confirmed deceased. No injuries were reported on the barge, which was unoccupied at the time of the crash.

Details of the Crash

• Witness Account: Adam Briggs, a witness on the opposite shore, recorded the incident and described the helicopter working on the power lines before it struck one, caught fire, and crashed onto the barge. His video footage, provided to local media like KMOV-TV, showed a thick black plume of smoke rising from the barge, accompanied by flames and explosions. Briggs expressed shock, stating, “They’re dead. They have to be dead,” in his video.

• Barge Cargo: The barge was carrying ethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze and coolant, which is flammable. Despite the fire, no leaks were reported immediately after the incident, and the fire was extinguished within an hour using a water cannon from a towboat, with assistance from the Alton Fire Department’s Marine 1 rescue boat.

• Aftermath: The wreckage was confined to the barge and was later covered with a tarp. Smoke and flames were visible initially, but the fire was quickly controlled.

Response and Investigation

• Emergency Response: Emergency crews from Missouri and Illinois, including fire, EMS, and law enforcement from Alton, East Alton, and Wood River, responded swiftly. The Alton Fire Department, led by Deputy Chief Matthew Fischer, confirmed the fatalities and reported no additional injuries.

• River Closure: The Missouri State Highway Patrol closed the Clark Bridge, and the U.S. Coast Guard shut down the Upper Mississippi River to commercial and all vessel traffic between mile markers 199 and 201 to ensure safety and facilitate the response.

• Investigation: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. An NTSB investigator was expected to arrive on-site on August 8, 2025, with the NTSB leading the investigation and providing further updates.

Additional Context

• Local Impact: The crash temporarily blocked Lock and Dam Way, a road along the eastern bank of the river in Illinois, though access to the nearby National Great Rivers Museum remained open.

• Eyewitness and Media Coverage: Local media, including KMOX radio and Fox 2 St. Louis, provided real-time updates. KMOX reported the fire was extinguished and confirmed the two fatalities were aboard the helicopter. Social media posts on X, including from eyewitnesses and news outlets, described the crash’s severity, with some noting multiple explosions.

• Historical Precedent: A similar incident occurred in 2018 in Pennsylvania, where a helicopter crew stringing power lines crashed, killing two and injuring the pilot, highlighting the risks of such maintenance work.

Current Status

• The fire has been extinguished, and the immediate danger has been mitigated.

• The Mississippi River remains closed to commercial traffic in the affected area as of the latest updates on August 7, 2025.

• The identities of the deceased have not been released, pending notification of next of kin.

• Federal agencies continue to investigate the cause of the crash, focusing on the helicopter’s interaction with the power lines and the subsequent fire.

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