Two people were killed Thursday morning, August 7, 2025, after a helicopter struck high-voltage power lines over the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, about 20 miles north of St. Louis. The aircraft, a Hughes 369D, was performing maintenance work\u2014installing safety markers and servicing tower lights\u2014when it clipped the lines around 11:05 a.m. and plummeted onto a barge below, sparking a fire and sending thick black smoke into the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one was on the barge at the time, and no additional injuries were reported. Witnesses described seeing debris fall as the helicopter exploded on impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utility company Ameren confirmed the victims were a contractor and a subcontractor hired for the project. In a statement, the company expressed condolences to the families and said it was cooperating with authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with NTSB teams arriving the following day to examine the scene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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