Helikopterhavari - Wirestrike

NTSB Investigators arrive on scene of DEA helicopter crash in Breathitt County


NTSB investigators arrive on scene of DEA

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - The National Transportation Safety Board is now on the scene of a helicopter crash in Eastern Kentucky.

The DEA chopper went down Monday morning near the Evanston community of Breathitt County near the Magoffin County line.

Witnesses say the helicopter hit some power lines, then crashed and burst into flames.
A DEA pilot and a state trooper were on board looking for marijuana at the time. The two were flying a mission for the KSP marijuana eradication team.

A witness told us the pilot pulled the state trooper from the burning wreckage after the crash Both men suffered burns and were flown to a hospital in West Virginia. We're told both are expected to recover from their injuries.

The names of the pilot and the state trooper have not been released yet.

Investigators from the FAA and the DEA are joining the NTSB to look into the cause of the crash.

A preliminary report on the crash is expected to be released in a few weeks, the final report could take up to a year.