Norway's Accident Investigation Board says none of the missing people were inside the helicopter that went down October 26 near the Svalbard settlement of Barentsburg.
So far, only one body has been recovered from the Mi-8 helicopter's wreckage, which was located at a depth of nearly 210 meters (685 feet).
The agency says the helicopter's cockpit voice recorder was found when the aircraft was raised early today and would be sent to Moscow for analysis.
It added that the search continued for the helicopter's flight data recorder, which had not been found, and the missing crew and passengers.