Helicopter Pilot Seemed Rushed Before Iliamna Crash, NTSB Says

A helicopter pilot who died in a southwest Alaska helicopter crash last month seemed rushed and told two fuel vendors he was trying to reach a small village before nightfall, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.

The report, released Saturday, found that the crash that killed 66-year-old pilot William Zeman of Douglas on Oct. 29 took place in winds of about 10 mph.

Zeman, the helicopter's sole passenger, was a senior pilot for Era Helicopters. He was killed in the crash near the village on Iliamna Lake.

The helicopter had been used for seismic work in Nome. Investigators could not locate an emergency locator transmitter on the aircraft.

The helicopter was headed to Anchorage.