Multiple people, including a child, have died after their helicopter crashed into a communications tower in Houston, Texas on Sunday.
The helicopter, which reportedly carried four people, was believed to have taken off from Ellington Field---just 15 miles away from the crash site. The incident happened around 8 p.m. Sunday, with the helicopter slamming into the 1,000-foot-high radio tower in Houston's Second Ward while flying at an altitude of 600 feet.
All four individuals aboard the helicopter were killed. Police officials have not released the identity of the victims, per BBC News.
Why Did the Helicopter Crash Into the Radio Tower
Prior to the crash, the helicopter was used for "private touring," Houston City Council member Mario Castillo wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
It was not immediately clear where the helicopter was headed. The circumstances leading to the crash are also under investigation. However, it was noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a public notice on Oct. 16 warning that some of the lights on the radio tower were not operating, according to an X post from Pat Cavlin, a reporter for news outlet KHOU.
Home security camera footage released by X user Jay Marroquin showed the helicopter flying toward the tower moments before the fatal crash. Apart from the light blinking at the top of the tower, no other lights were visible.
MYSTUDIO HTX security camera caught the moment a helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston's Second Ward, East End at 7:51:19 PM. #helicopter #helicoptercrash #houston #breaking #breakingnews #houston #secondward #mystudiohtx #jaymarroquin @KHOU @abc13houston @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/rap61Xr0XN
— Jay Marroquin (@JayMarroquin) October 21, 2024
What Happened After the Crash
The crash led to a large explosion near Engelke Street and North Ennis Street. The crash occurred near a butane tank and a residential area, but none were damaged. No one was on the ground near the crash.
That said, some residents experienced power outages following the crash, The Washington Post reported, citing Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
"We were very fortunate that it didn't topple in one direction or another and the fireball pretty much was isolated," Whitmire said in a news conference.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched a probe. The crash site will remain inaccessible to the public while investigators comb through the rubble and the debris.
Residents who live near the crash site are requested to immediately contact law enforcement should they encounter any shrapnel or human remains.
