1 reported dead after helicopter crashes into electric transmission lines near Dayton

DAYTON, Wash. — One person was reported dead after a helicopter crashed in a power line near Dayton on Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators are still trying to determine how the Bell 206B helicopter hit the transmission lines near South Touchet Road outside of Dayton about 12:30 p.m., according to initial reports from the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and Elkhorn Media Group.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

The rural area was hard to access by emergency crews, according to dispatch reports.

The crash also knocked out power to about 835 Columbia REA customers. The lost power also forced the Columbia County Courthouse to close.