Lighting on radio tower reportedly failed days before helicopter crashed into it, killing 4 people
By Elizabeth Wolfe, Pete Muntean and Sarah Dewberry, CNN
3 minute read
Updated 7:10 PM EDT, Mon October 21, 2024
Houston Fire Department
CNN —
Lighting
on a Houston radio tower reportedly failed just days before it was hit by a
helicopter on Sunday, killing four people in a fiery explosion that toppled the
tower and left debris scattered through the neighborhood.
Operating
as an air tour flight, the helicopter was flying at an altitude of 600 feet
when it slammed into the 1,000-foot-high tower just before 8 p.m. Sunday,
according to open-source data and investigating officials.
The
tower’s lights were “unserviceable” until the end of the month, according to a
Federal Aviation Administration notice to pilots published last Thursday.
Towers
higher than 200 feet above ground level “should normally be marked and/or
lighted,” and any tower lighting outage “should be corrected as soon as
possible,” according to FAA guidance published in 2020.
Towers
and guy wires pose a unique hazard to helicopters, which typically fly at low
altitudes and can be especially difficult for pilots to spot at night. Video of
the crash shows at least one flashing light at the very top of the tower but
the rest of the tower does not appear to be illuminated.
The
crash ignited a large explosion near Engelke Street and North Ennis Street that
could be heard at a fire station nearly half a
mile from the site, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said during a late-night news
conference.
The
crash killed all four people, including a child, on board the privately owned
Robinson R44 helicopter, according to Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and federal
officials. The pilot and three passengers were killed, according to the FAA.
Houston Fire Department
While
the cause of the crash remains unclear, National Transportation Safety Board
officials are expected at the crash site Monday to examine and recover the
aircraft, the agency told CNN. Law enforcement officials are looking for debris
across the area and the Houston Police Department’s vehicular crimes division
is making a three-dimensional scan over a 4-acre area to share with the NTSB
and the FAA, Lt. Jonathan French said in a news conference Monday.
Additional
investigators from NTSB will arrive at the scene Monday evening, where they
will continue to work for at least another day, said Brian Rutt, an air safety
investigator with NTSB.
The
aircraft departed Ellington Airport, which is about 17 miles south of the crash
site. Rutt said the helicopter did not have a flight data recorder, which is
not required.
The
flight was categorized as “sight seeing” and the helicopter is registered to
Porter Equipment Holdings LLC of Magnolia, Texas, according to the FAA. CNN is
reaching out to the company for comment.
Surveillance
video from a nearby home obtained by CNN shows what appears to be the
helicopter flying toward the tower, then exploding on collision, lighting up
the sky.
Witness
video shows fire personnel urging onlookers to clear the area where a fire was
burning and warning them of a nearby gas tank.
“This is
a tragic event tonight. It’s a tragic loss of life,” Diaz said.
Officials
advised residents who see human remains around the crash site to leave the area
alone and report it to authorities.
The
mayor said the city is “fortunate” the explosion was not more severe because
there is a gas tank in the area.
Lawrence
Gurule was watching a football game on Sunday night when he heard a noise that
“sounded like a bomb.”
“I ran
outside and looked up and I could see smoke. The tower was gone,” he said.
Manuel
Arciniega was nearby when the crash occurred, he told CNN affiliate KPRC. “My buddy behind me told me to look
up in the sky, and I just saw the cell tower crumbling down. They said a
helicopter hit it.”
“It will
be a large investigation because of the expanse of the accident,” Diaz said. If
residents find helicopter parts in the area, they should avoid touching them
and notify fire or police officials, he added.
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