Helicopter crash kills 2 Baton Rouge officers: What we know and don’t know

Baton Rouge Police are expected to release new information soon about the deaths of two officer pilots in a helicopter crash Sunday in a sugarcane field in West Baton Rouge Parish. Here’s what we know — and what we don’t.

What we know

• A preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration says the crash happened around 2:26 a.m.
• The report says the helicopter went down after its tail rotor struck a tree; the report says the helicopter crashed upside down.
• The crash is being investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

What we don’t know:

Police have yet to release the following information:

• Who were the officers who were killed? BRPD said Sunday afternoon that it was waiting to notify family before releasing names.
• Why were Baton Rouge pilots flying the helicopter in West Baton Rouge?
• When did first responders arrive on the scene? Police have not said, but it appears to have been hours after the crash. The West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said it was notified of the crash at 10:48 a.m.; when deputies arrived, FAA staff were already there. The coroner did not remove the bodies until 3:30 p.m.

Staff writer Rebecca Holland contributed to this report.