JUNEAU (Alaskia), July 22 (NNN-XINHUA) — No survivors were found after a helicopter crashed in the US state of Alaska Thursday night, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials.
Four people were onboard a Bell 206L-4 craft operating out of Maritime Helicopters in Homer, a private charter company, said Alaska NTSB Chief Clint Johnson. The helicopter lost contact via an electronic tracking system around 7 or 8 p.m. Thursday local time (0300 or 0400 GMT Friday).
The helicopter was returning to Utqiagvik from a mission. Johnson said that search and rescue crews from North Slope found the downed helicopter partially submerged in a lake about 82.1 km southwest of Utqiagvik.
The search team was alerted of the overdue helicopter around 11:20 p.m. Thursday local time (0720 GMT Friday), said DJ Fauske, North Slope Borough director of external affairs.
The search team is investigating with NTSB assistance and also notified the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Alaska local media.
