Three people have been killed in a helicopter crash in a remote area of southwestern Louisiana.

The crash in Cameron Parish happened around 11:45 a.m. Friday during a maintenance test flight of the helicopter. A pilot and two mechanics were killed. Cameron Sheriff Ron Johnson identified the pilot as a 69-year-old California man, William R. Croucher; 55-year-old Michael Lee Tyree of Iowa (EYE' oh WAY'), La., and 41-year-old Timothy Lloyd Goehring of Sulphur, La., also died.

Johnson said the helicopter was owned by Era Helicopters LLC.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft crashed about 30 minutes after taking off from Lake Charles, La.

Johnson said the FAA was on the scene Friday afternoon.

A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said that agency would investigate and would likely be on the scene Saturday.