Fatal helicopter crash near Lakeville, Minnesota, kills all aboard

A helicopter crashed and burst into flames Saturday afternoon in a rural area west of Airlake Airport in Lakeville, Minnesota, killing all aboard, officials said. The aircraft went down about 2:45 p.m. near Highview Avenue and 219th Street West, roughly 25 miles south of Minneapolis, and emergency crews worked at the scene to secure the wreckage and contain the fire.

Lakeville police and the city said responding officers and members of the Lakeville Fire Department found no evidence of survivors. The Federal Aviation Administration told investigators that two people were aboard the single engine Robinson R66, a five seat turbine helicopter, but Lakeville police had not immediately released an official passenger count. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the victims in the coming days, officials said.

Flight tracking data reviewed by investigators show a Robinson R66 departed Sky Park Airport in Lydia at about 2:35 p.m. and flew east toward Lakeville for roughly eight minutes before the crash. Some online data indicated the aircraft reached a peak altitude near 2,000 feet before descending rapidly, but federal investigators will determine the flight’s...