Two people died in a helicopter crash on Thursday (September 11) in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The helicopter, used by a contractor for work on electric transmission lines, went down around 3 p.m. near the Penn's Peak concert hall in Penn Forest Township. The crash site was located near Maury and Fire Tower roads, just outside Jim Thorpe. The victims were the pilot and an electrical contractor working on the lines at the time. Their identities are being withheld until next of kin are notified, according to Carbon County Coroner Mark K. Smith. The crash was reported to have occurred along power lines cutting through the forest.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Carbon County Coroner’s Office, and the Jim Thorpe Police Department. Dana Burns, director of communications for PPL Electric Utilities, confirmed that the contractor was hired for a construction project involving the power lines. Autopsies for the victims are scheduled for Saturday at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest. As the investigation continues, authorities are working to determine the cause of the accident.