Evertson was the owner and chief pilot of Ozark Mountain Helicopters in Branson, which owns the helicopter that crashed. Arthur worked for Sho-Me Power Cooperative of Marshfield. He was a helicopter pilot for about seven years.

Deputies say they received the first call about the downed helicopter just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. It went down about 10 miles southwest of Mountain Home in the Overlook Estates area.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission officers responded with off-road vehicles to reach the rugged and remote site. Black smoke from the crash could be seen from a distance.

FAA records show the Hughes Rotocraft model 269B helicopter was built in 1965. Evertsen's son, Casey, the director of marketing and public relations at Ozark Mountain Helicopters, said it was not a touring helicopter. Instead, the two men were doing a routine inspection of Sho-Me's lines, which was done five or six times a year, he said. Sho-Me Power transmits electricity to nine rural distribution coops in southwest Missouri.

P.J. Spaul, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ office in Little Rock, said the helicopter clipped transmission lines running from the dam either before or as it crashed. Spaul said the crash cut the lines and sparked two power surges in generators at the Bull Shoals and Norfork power plants.

Spaul said fire-suppression systems went off immediately after the power surges.

“We’re still assessing if there was any damage to our facilities,” Spaul said.

The Evertsens opened their business in July 2007 at the Taney County Airport at Point Lookout near Hollister. It offers tours over Branson Landing, Missouri 76, Table Rock Dam, Lake Taneycomo, Shepherd of the Hills' Inspiration Tower and Silver Dollar City. Casey Evertsen said tours are suspended indefinitely.

Jim Evertsen, seen with his granddaughter Taylor (Casey's daughter), "died doing what he loved. I just wish I knew what happened," said Casey Evertsen.

"We did hire this helicopter service today. We've used the company a number of times. We've never had any issues with them," said Sho-Me Power General Manager Gary Fulks. "(Randy Arthur) is survived by his mother, father and sister. Our thoughts go out to the families."

Randy Arthur was engaged to be married to Arlene Shults.
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Edited news release from Capt. Lewis on Tuesday at 2:25 p.m.:

The Baxter County Sheriff's Office responded to and is investigating the crash of a helicopter that went down Tuesday morning near the Norfork Dam in the Salesville/Norfork area. The Sheriff's Department was notified by the Baxter County 911 Center at approximately 9:29 a.m. that a caller reported a plane hitting a power line and crashing on the river side of the Norfork Dam.

Several sheriff's deputies and investigators responded to the area. The first one arrived near the crash site, which is on the south side of the river, at approximately 9:39 a.m. Emergency medical first responders and other officials were also dispatched.

Responders located the crash site at the bottom of a ravine near Norfork Dam. The area is accessible only by hiking or by all terrain vehicles. The debris of the helicopter was on fire at the crash site, and two victims were discovered, both of whom were deceased.

Investigators began to gather information and evidence in an attempt to learn the identity of the victims and ownership of the helicopter. The registration number on the helicopter was found, and the registration information showed the helicopter, a 1965 Hughes Rotocraft model 269B, is owned by Ozark Mountain Helicopters (officially registered in Wilmington, Del., but based in Branson) and additional information indicated that it was leased to Sho-Me Power.

Investigators spoke with representatives of Sho-Me Power, who confirmed their control over the helicopter, and who assisted with providing identifying information on the victims, one of whom was an employee of theirs.

The victims were said to be on a routine aerial surveying or inspection mission of the power lines and power system in the area of the Norfork Dam.

The identities of both victims were learned through the investigation, and their next of kin were notified. The first victim, believed to be the pilot, was Jim Evertsen, 57, of West Plains. The second victim, believed to be the passenger, was: Randy Arthur, 51, of Marshfield.

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the crash, and its representatives are enroute to the crash site.

The Baxter County Coroner's Office removed the victims' bodies from the crash site. We anticipate that both will be sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Little Rock for autopsy, which would be a normal procedure for this type of incident.

The crash remains under investigation, and we expect to have deputies on scene through Wednesday morning. The Sheriff's Department wishes to thank all agencies that responded and provided assistance at the scene. These include the Baxter County Office of Emergency Management, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Wildlife Officers, U. S. Army Corp of Engineers Rangers and staff, Arkansas State Police, fire department personnel from the Salesville, Norfork, Rodney, Tracy Ferry, and Mountain Home Fire Departments, as well as paramedics from Baxter Regional Medical Center.