Bob Sprouse said, "We got landing gear skids, we got some cowling. We got the transmission. We got the tail rotor gear box and blades. The engine has already left with the NTSB vehicle, but it's severely burnt."
All four passengers on board died, including three who worked out of the Fresno office ... Biologists Kevin O'Connor, Clu Cotter and Tom Stolberg died instantly, along with the pilot, Dennis Donovan.
Investigators said the lines the helicopter clipped did not appear to be marked at the time. And as you can see, the lines very easily blend in to the natural setting.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators took pictures of the valley where the helicopter went down. They also documented the setting at the exact time the helicopter crashed.
NTSB Investigator Eliott Simpson said, "We are looking at geographic features. Position of the sun, really parts of the wreckage that hit the wire are the kind of evidence we're looking for."
Bob Sprouse owns a Long Beach based salvage removal company hired to help retrieve wreckage. He said it's clear to him what happened that caused the fatal crash.
"This is the main rotor transmission. This is the main rotor shaft. The head is on top of this, which is now gone. When it hit the wire, this is where it broke," said Sprouse.
The NTSB will not talk about any potential cause. They are collecting facts to include in a preliminary report that will be done within 10 days.
