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FREMONT, Calif. (CBS 5/AP/BCN) - A flight instructor and his student were killed in a helicopter crash near Interstate 680 in Alameda County Friday morning after the aircraft hit power lines and ignited a grass fire, authorities said.
The Schweizer 269 helicopter crash-landed onto Sheridan Road in an area of the county between Fremont and Sunol about 12:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Aaron Quistad. It is unknown which of the men was piloting the copter.
The aircraft was owned by a San Mateo-based company, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian 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 Sgt. J.D. Nelson said from the scene.
A grassfire ignited by the crash burned between 3 and 5 acres of vegetation on the highway's right-hand shoulder, Nelson said.
Fremont firefighters remained on the scene after controlling the grassfire around 2:30 a.m.
Investigators had not determined if the helicopter's pilot did not see the power lines or encountered mechanical problems before crashing.
Weather in the area was cloudy when the crash occurred, according to Gregor.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the incident.
A portion of northbound 680 was reopened after closing due to the crash, which knocked down power lines into traffic lanes. But Sheridan Road and the Sheridan Road off-ramp remained closed indefinitely.
Approximately 746 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers in the Sunol area left without power due to the severed power line were restored around 3:40 a.m., PG&E spokesman J.D. Guidi said.
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KCBS' Tim Ryan reports
