LOCUST GROVE, Okla. — A helicopter pilot working as a contractor for the Grand River Dam Authority died on Nov. 5 when his aircraft crashed in foggy conditions in Mayes County.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol identified the pilot as 56-year-old Emanuele Tsikoudakis from Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Workers at a nearby industrial park witnessed the crash and called 911, bringing multiple emergency response teams to the scene.
"We did have RPS and they were actually from the industrial park that called it in, so it was from a ways off that we got the call from," Lt. Jerrod Martin with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
WATCH: Pilot killed in helicopter crash in Locust Grove
The pilot was working with two people on the ground who were pulling power lines. 2 News was told the pilot was guiding them from the air to prevent the lines from catching on wires.
Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter hovering before it suddenly flipped over backwards and crashed nose-first into the ground.
"Right now, we've got the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the GRDA and the Mayes County Sheriff's Office and the Mayes County Emergency Management," Martin said.
Thick fog blanketed the area at the time of the crash, though investigators have not yet determined if weather conditions contributed to the accident.
Troopers secured the crash site until federal investigators with the FAA and NTSB could arrive to begin their investigation into what caused the crash.
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