Authorities have identified the two people killed in the crash of a helicopter being used by a contractor to work on electric transmission lines just outside Jim Thorpe.

Jeffrey Patmore, 52, of Terrace, British Columbia and Michael Higgins, 40, of Haddonfield, N.J., were fatally injured in the crash Thursday.

Patmore was piloting the helicopter and Higgins was a line worker, the Carbon County Coroner’s Office said in a news release. The cause and manner of the deaths will be released after autopsies scheduled for today at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

The crash happened just after 3 p.m. in the area of Maury and Fire Tower roads, just north of the Penn’s Peak concert venue in Penn Forest Township. Photos taken by a freelance photographer showed the helicopter crashed along power lines lines cutting through the forest.

Dana Burns, director of communications for PPL Electric Utilities, said Friday the helicopter belonged to a third-party contractor that was working on the lines as part of a construction project.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, Carbon County coroner and Jim Thorpe Police Department are all investigating.

An NTSB spokesperson said after the wreckage is documented, it will be moved to a secure facility for additional evaluation. A preliminary report on the incident should be released within 30 days, and a probable cause of the crash will be detailed in a final report, which can take a year or two to finish, they said.

An NTSB investigation involves looking through flight tracking data, recordings of any air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records, weather forecasts, pilot license, recent background of the pilot, witness statements, devices that could have information relevant to the investigation and any available video footage.

https://www.mcall.com/2025/09/13/carbon-helicopter-crash-ids/