Federal investigators are travelling to the scene of a North Slope helicopter crash that killed two people near the Kuparuk oil field. Clint Johnson, Alaska chief for the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that a Robinson R-66 helicopter went down Wednesday afternoon.
Search crews discovered wreckage about 30 miles west of Deadhorse after the aircraft was reported missing earlier in the day. Pollux Aviation, the Wasilla-based company operating the helicopter, confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in the crash, according to general manager Sam Maxwell.
He stated that the company works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB to determine the cause. Maxwell said the cause remains unknown, and the company currently has no further details about what led to the fatal incident.
Borough officials referred all questions to the Alaska State Troopers, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment. As of Wednesday evening, no additional details were released, but officials expect more information about the crash to be released.
