Sheriff identifies helicopter pilot who crashed in Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La. – Officials have identified the body of the 29-year-old helicopter pilot who crashed in the Atchafalaya Basin near Lafayette, Louisiana.

Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal tells local news that Casey Clark of Great Falls, Montana, is the pilot who died in the crash Wednesday. Clark had been working for Gulf Coast Helicopters and was living in Pearland, Texas.

Ackal says investigators found the wreckage Thursday morning and recovered Clark’s body a short time later.

Chief Criminal Deputy Richard Hazelwood says the helicopter disappeared Wednesday afternoon in the basin south of Baton Rouge, after leaving Gonzales, Louisiana, to do a pipeline survey.

Hazelwood says the aircraft was scheduled to refuel in Patterson, Louisiana, about 12:30 p.m., but never arrived. A search for the aircraft began that evening.

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