4 folks aboard a helicopter had been killed when it crashed right into a radio tower in Houston and burst into flames, officers mentioned. The helicopter went down simply earlier than 8 p.m. Sunday in a neighborhood east of downtown after taking off from Ellington Discipline, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, Mayor John Whitmire mentioned at a information convention.
He didn’t know the flight’s vacation spot. Officers mentioned nobody on the bottom was injured, and no close by properties had been broken, although some autos had been. The crash sparked a fireplace that burned about 100 to 200 yards (91 to 183 meters) of grass, officers mentioned.Firefighters at a close-by station heard the crash and responded, Whitmire mentioned.
He mentioned it was a “horrible accident scene” and that the tower and helicopter had been destroyed. Some space residents misplaced energy, Whitmire mentioned. “It’s surrounded by residences and that’s the place we had been very lucky — that it didn’t topple in a single path or one other,” Whitmire mentioned. “And the fireball just about was remoted.”
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board mentioned in an announcement that it’s investigating the crash of the Robinson R44 II helicopter, which preliminary info exhibits was working as an air tour flight. The NTSB mentioned the helicopter crashed right into a radio tower “beneath unknown circumstances,” leading to a fireplace.
Officers mentioned the 4 folks aboard the helicopter included a toddler however the identities of the victims and their ages haven’t but been launched. Police and hearth officers have urged residents close to the crash web site to name 911 in the event that they discover something on their property that might assist in their investigation.
Law enforcement officials on Monday had been scouring an space of round 4 acres (1.6 hectares) for particles from the crash, mentioned Lt. Jonathan French. NTSB investigators had been anticipated to reach Monday to start documenting the scene and inspecting the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration may also examine.
