The helicopter went down just before 8pm on Sunday in a neighbourhood east of downtown after taking off from Ellington Field, about 25km away, Mayor John Whitmire said at a news conference. He didn't know the flight's destination.
Officials said no one on the ground was injured, and no nearby homes were damaged, though some vehicles were. The crash sparked a fire that burned about 90-180m of grass, officials said.
Briefing on Helicopter Crash — Houston Police (@houstonpolice) https://t.co/f0H5mHHQ7xOctober 21, 2024
Firefighters at a nearby station heard the crash and responded, Whitmire said. He said it was a "terrible accident scene" and that the tower and helicopter were destroyed. Some area residents lost power.
"It is surrounded by residences and that's where we were very fortunate - that it didn't topple in one direction or another," Whitmire said.
"And the fireball pretty much was isolated."
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash of the Robinson R44 II helicopter, which preliminary information shows was operating as an air tour flight. The NTSB said the helicopter crashed into a radio tower "under unknown circumstances," resulting in a fire.
Officials said the four people aboard the helicopter included a child but the identities of the victims and their ages have not yet been released.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.
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