Alaska News

Helicopter pilot killed in crash near Delta Junction

A helicopter pilot died in a crash near an Interior Alaska gold mine Tuesday, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Alaska State Troopers identified the pilot as James Hopper on their website Wednesday.

The pilot was the only person on board, NTSB investigator Brice Banning said Wednesday.

It was about 5 p.m. Tuesday when the helicopter went down in the vicinity of Pogo Mine, near Delta Junction. Banning said he did not yet know if the helicopter was used to support the mine.

"We haven't gotten to the scene yet," Banning said. "We're working on putting that information together."

There was no early indication as to what caused the crash or how high off the ground the helicopter was when it began to have trouble, Banning said. The NTSB continues to investigate, he said.

Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.

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By CASEY GROVE

Anchorage Daily News

Casey Grove

Casey Grove is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. He left the ADN in 2014.

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