Elba, N.Y. (WBEN) - Two men are dead following a Mercy Flight helicopter crash on Tuesday in the Genesee County Town of Elba just north of Batavia.

New York State Police say Troopers out of Batavia responded to the crash at approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday near 7216 Norton Road, north of Edgerton Road.
State Police Maj. Eugene Staniszewski confirmed there were two victims in the helicopter crash, as they were out on an annual training mission out of the Genesee County Airport in Batavia.
Mercy Flight has identified the pilot of the helicopter as James Sauer of Churchville, New York. He was a retired state police pilot. Also on board, was flight instructor Stewart Dietrick, a Bell helicopter pilot, of Prosper, Texas. Both men were 60 years old.
While it is unclear when exactly the helicopter went down and why the crash occurred, Staniszewski does not believe any power lines were the cause of the crash. There were power lines down near the scene, but it is believed to be as a result of the crash.
“I don’t believe the lines caused the crash but the aircraft may have struck the lines on the way down,” he said.
Mercy Flight transports patients to area hospitals in a Bell 429 helicopter, according to the not-for-profit company's website. The twin-engine aircraft was housed at the Genesee County Airport, which is a little less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the crash site.
The company called it an “unspeakable tragedy.”
“This is a very dark day for the Mercy Flight family, we are so grateful for the expressions of love, concern and support expressed by many,” said company president Margaret Ferrentino.
Mercy Flight said it temporarily suspended operations to let their employees grieve and ensure other helicopters could be safely operated. The company said any requests it receives in the meantime will be routed to other local resources.
New York State Police continues to investigate the crash with the help of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
According to the NTSB, the Mercy Flight helicopter that crashed was a Bell 429 GlobalRanger model.

You can listen to the entire press briefing in the player below: