WEST ALTON, Mo. — Federal investigators released an initial report Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, on the helicopter crash that killed two people near West Alton, MO., on Aug. 7, 2025.
The National Transportation Safety Board said an eyewitness reported that the helicopter pilot and a lineman were attempting to attach an orange aviation warning marker to power lines above the Mississippi River. The pilot brought the helicopter close to the lines, and the aircraft’s tail struck one of the wires, causing it to dangle and pivot the cockpit into the power line.
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The two victims in the crash were 35-year-old Nicholas R. Fulton of Salem, MO., and 37-year-old Michael C. Curry of Ashley, IL.
The NTSB said the collision produced sparks before the helicopter fell onto the deck of a nearby barge and caught fire, according to the preliminary report. The crew of a tow vessel moved alongside the barge and used its pilothouse fire station to extinguish the flames.
Officials said a subsequent inspection found no structural damage to the barge or any release of its contents.
The NTSB said it plans to review video from the responding tow vessel and conduct a sonar search of the river bottom near the crash site as part of the ongoing investigation.
The agency did not disclose the identity of the eyewitness who provided the initial account.
