Flight instructor and student killed in helicopter crash

Bay City News ServiceContra Costa Times (California) A flight instructor and student were killed in a helicopter crash near Interstate Highway 680 in Alameda County this morning after the aircraft hit power lines and ignited a fire, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. The Schweizer 269 helicopter crash-landed onto Sheridan Road in an area of the county between Fremont and Sunol at 12:32 a.m., Gregor said. It is unknown who was piloting the helicopter. The aircraft was owned by a San Mateo-based company, according to Gregor. When the helicopter hit the power line, it caught fire, killing its occupants, according to Gregor. The scorched two-seat aircraft sat on the roadway several hours after the crash. "This thing is pretty badly burnt," Alameda County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson said... [read full story]