Salem man killed in helicopter crash

One of the victims of Thursday’s deadly helicopter crash in the St. Louis area was a pilot who worked with his father at their helicopter company at Salem.

The other was a utility lineman and fisherman.

Nicholas Fulton, 35, of Salem, and Michael Cody Curry, 37, of Ashley, Illinois, were in the helicopter that struck power lines and crashed into a barge this week, drawing national attention. No one else was in the helicopter.

Fulton worked with his father, Tim Fulton, at Excel Helicopters out of Salem.

Friends remembered Curry as a competitive fisherman and courageous and dedicated lineman, according to social media posts.

The two men were part of a crew working on power lines that cross the river, said Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman Cpl. Dallas Thompson.

The crash happened just after 11 a.m. about a mile and a half south of the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River. Ameren confirmed a contractor and subcontractor were there repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls.

Ameren declined further comment Friday.

After flying into the power lines, the helicopter fell into a barge and caught fire. No one was on the barge when the helicopter crashed.

A witness said that he was fishing as he watched the helicopter work. At one point, it carried two men suspended by ropes to the electrical tower.

Then the helicopter started making trips back and forth with supplies as the crews worked. Right before the crash, the helicopter was carrying a marker ball by a rope. The witness said he heard a loud “boom” and when he looked up he saw smoke billowing from the helicopter as it fell.

J.F. Electric, an Edwardsville-based company, said in a statement that the crash involved one of its employees and a subcontractor.

Excel Helicopters’ website says Fulton and his father, Tim, started Excel in 2015. Tim worked as president and chief pilot, and Nick worked as vice president and pilot.

Nick Fulton managed maintenance, procurement, billing, customer relations, and more for Excel, according to his biography. The helicopter company offers aerial photography services, crop spraying and aerial vegetation cutting for powerlines, pipelines and railroads.

Before he helped form the helicopter company, Nick Fulton worked in commercial construction and then for O’Reilly Auto Parts in Springfield, the biography says.

“Nick was soon recognized as someone with integrity and an aptitude for quickly learning company systems,” it says, adding he was proficient in machine work, welding and fabricating.