IBERIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) – Thursday the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office identified the pilot of the helicopter that crashed over the Atchafalaya Basin. He is being identified as Casey Clark.

Clark, a Houston-area resident, and pilot for Gulf Coast Helicopters left Gonzales, Louisiana around 7:30 Wednesday morning and never returned.

“He’s supposed to be an experienced pilot that has been flying this area for some time,” said Sheriff Louis Ackal.

Clark was surveying pipelines along the basin. He was supposed to land at the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport in Patterson to refuel but never made it.

After searching throughout the night, authorities found the crashed helicopter in the Atchafalaya Basin Thursday morning. Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal said the swamp water made it difficult to get to the chopper.

“Very little of the helicopter is showing. The woods are thick as you saw.”

Rescue teams recovered Clark’s body late Thursday afternoon. Sheriff Ackal said he believes the chopper hit the water head on.

“It appeared to us that the helicopter went straight in head first.”

At this time, there are still many unanswered questions.

“Did it lose power, did it run out of fuel, did it hit a wind sheer,” said Ackal.

The body has been turned over the Iberia Parish Corner’s office for further investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

At this time the cause of the crash is still under investigation.