State Police: 5 Dead in Helicopter Crash

A helicopter crash in a remote, wooded area of northeastern Pennsylvania claimed the lives of five people including a child.

The FAA said the helicopter took off from Greater Binghamton Airport in New York and was heading to Jake Arner Memorial Airport in Lehighton on Saturday night.

Wyoming County coroner Thomas Kukuchka says the pilot contacted a nearby tower around 10:30 p.m. Saturday saying he would attempt to return to another airfield nearby. Then he went off the air.

An alert notice was issued after the radar and communication contact with the aircraft was lost Saturday night.

The wreckage was found Sunday afternoon in Noxen, Wyoming County. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Adam Reed said inclement weather had hampered search efforts.

State police and FAA personnel were still on the scene Sunday night, according to Reed. Additional details will be released as the investigation progresses, he said.

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