A helicopter crashed in a rural stretch of Minnesota and burst into flames Saturday afternoon, killing everyone on board, officials said.
The Robinson R66 went down around 2:45 p.m. in Lakeville, just west of Airlake Airport, roughly eight minutes after taking off from Sky Park Airport in Lydia, according to Lakeville Police and online fight data.
“The preliminary information we have is the helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances and a post-crash fire ensued,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement.
Police said no survivors were found at the scene, but haven’t confirmed how many were on board.
The single-engine chopper, which can carry a pilot and up to four passengers, was on its way to Airlake Airport after taking off around 2:35 p.m., according to FlightAware.
The doomed aircraft reached a peak altitude of 2,000 feet before plummeting in a remote area near Highway Avenue and 219th Street West, located about 25 miles south of Minneapolis, data shows.
Police said no one else was injured.
Officials have not released the identities of the passengers on board.
An NTSB investigator is en route to the scene and is expected to arrive Sunday afternoon, the agency said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
Read the full article here
