HOUSTON — Members of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are in Houston to assist with the investigation of the deadly helicopter crash in the Second Ward near downtown Houston.
Four people, including a child, were killed in the crash Sunday night.
On Tuesday morning, we heard from the Houston Fire Technical Rescue Team district chief who said they were removing parts of the helicopter from the tower so the NTSB can reconstruct the crash since it’s still unclear exactly what led to the incident.
The memorial for the victims near the crash site continued to grow Tuesday morning. The family of the victims, who didn’t want to speak on camera, said they were in shock trying to process this tragedy.
What we know right now
- The crash happened around 7:55 p.m. near Engelke Street near Ennis Street in the Second Ward
- Four people, including a child, on board the R44 aircraft died in the crash, their identities have not been released
- The helicopter was coming from Ellington Airport, but its destination remains unclear
- The helicopter was operating as an air tour flight
- The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the helicopter didn't have a flight data recorder and wasn't required to
- If you find debris, don’t touch it and call 911
- Witness reports and statements can be sent to witness@ntsb.gov
- The FAA, NTSB, HFD, and HPD are investigating the crash
- FAA noted that the radio tower's lights had been reported as inoperable on Oct. 16
NTSB investigation
On Tuesday, NTSB investigators obtained the pilot's records for review and work started to recover the wreckage for further examination. On Wednesday, investigators will visit the air tour company to learn more about their operations.
The investigation involves the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, investigators will gather the following information and records:
- Flight track data
- Recordings of any air traffic control communications
- Aircraft maintenance records
- Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
- Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
- 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight
- Witness statements
- Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
- Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras
Owners of the SBA Communications radio tower release statement
The owners of the radio tower that was hit released a statement on the deadly crash on Monday.
According to a company spokesperson, SBA Communications recently acquired the tower. It was previously owned in part by Univision and sold in a transaction with several other towers in September.
SBA manages transmission towers in several other countries.
"We are in the process of cooperating with authorities on a full investigation. This is a tragic incident, and we ask everyone to please keep the deceased and their families in their thoughts and prayers," the company said in the statement.
An FAA notice issued on Oct. 17 references a potential obstruction to lights on the radio tower. In surveillance video that captures the crash, it appears there was at least one flashing light on the tower that was operational.
An SBA spokesperson said the company had no knowledge of any issues with the tower’s lighting.
They added that after SBA acquired the tower, company leaders ensured a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) was in place for this site in order to "exercise caution during the change of ownership while we integrate the site into our Network Operations Center (NOC) for continuous 24/7 monitoring pursuant to FAA and FCC regulations."
NOTAMs are issued to inform pilots of work notices, potential hazards, or changes.
SBA said while a federal investigation is ongoing, it is limited on what information can be disclosed. More information will be provided when it is available, according to the company.
What witnesses say about the helicopter crash
Witnesses who saw the crash were still in disbelief nearly 24 hours after the incident.
The crash site was near a residential area with several homes and apartments. Donald Mentis lives nearby and said he saw the moment of impact. Mentis said he was walking to the store to grab a couple of things when he saw the helicopter in the air.
"It was going kind of slow, and then it sped up," Mentis said.
That's when Mentis said he never expected to see what happened next.
"It hit the pole, and then the next thing you know, it just exploded, like, it evaporated,” Mentis said. “What was going through my head was like, ‘Yo, did anyone else see this? Did I just make this up?’ You know what I mean. We all had to basically kind of confirm with each other, like, ‘Hey, you just seen that, right?’ Unbelievable, man. It was crazy.”
Several KHOU 11 viewers sent in surveillance camera footage of the crash. Jay Marroquin, who also lives in the area, shared his backyard surveillance camera which shows a large flash of light once the helicopter goes down into the radio tower.
“There’s a loss of life, so that’s unfortunate,” Marroquin said. “Everything was blocked off. There was a ton of first responders.”
Marroquin said he's grateful there were no reports of anyone on the ground getting injured.
“It’s a busy community. It was a busy time. That whole area is hustling and bustling. This neighborhood is just popping so it could have been a lot more loss, so thankfully nothing else happened,” Marroquin said.
What happened during the helicopter crash
Houston Mayor John Whitmire, HFD Chief Thomas Muñoz, HPD Chief Noe Diaz, and DPS gathered for a news conference following the crash. Whitmire said the HFD was there within minutes.
“We got a fire station, 17, one of our major stations a block away,” he said. “They heard the explosion and responded. First ones on the scene were Houston fire to secure the area, make sure considerations for electricity, gas, and other provisions were taken care of. “
Officials confirmed all four people on the helicopter, including a child, died in the crash.
"This is a tragic event tonight. A tragic loss of life," Diaz said.
The helicopter was an R44 private aircraft coming from Ellington Airport, about 17 miles from the crash site. At this point, it's not clear where the helicopter was going.
No outside structures were damaged. According to officials, the fire burned about 100 to 200 yards of grass near the radio tower site.
The fire was put out and there's no threat to the community. No civilian or residential injuries were reported.
On Monday morning, HPD Lt. Jonathan French said the crash site appeared to cover about four acres.
Officials asked residents not to touch any components of the crashed aircraft and to call 911.
"Now, we are out in the daylight more things are going to be found. I’d stress to folks please don’t touch anything," he said. "Evidence preservation as well as respect. Respect for these families that are going through this tragedy right now. We have multiple resources out here. So please find an officer and let them know about this."
French said they do not have confirmation on any damage to homes, but they do know that several vehicles were damaged.
French also said HPD's Vehicular Crimes Division is conducting a three-dimensional scan of the area which would take about four to five hours, and the data would be shared with the FAA and the NTSB. Those two federal agencies are the leads in the investigation into the crash.
HFD is also part of the investigation.
Here is HPD's full update from Monday:
Here is NTSB's full update from Monday: