Four Dead, Including a Child, after Helicopter Crashes into Radio Tower in Houston – Video
Updates on a helicopter crash that claimed four lives in the Texas metropolis have been released by news organizations and Houston police.
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, a helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston, Texas’s Second Ward, East End, sadly killing four persons.The precise moment the tragedy happened is shown in video footage taken by a civilian named Jay Marroquin’s security camera at 7:51:19 p.m.
Video from the October 22, 2024, radio tower and helicopter crash in Houston, Texas | Source: FOX/LiveNOW on YouTube
The black-and-white video, which was taken from outside Marroquin’s house, showed the helicopter flying directly toward the tower, which seemed to be completely dark save for a single blinking light at the top. In a matter of seconds, the plane struck the towering building.
Video footage from the October 20, 2024, 7:51:19 PM radio tower crash in Houston, Texas’s Second Ward, East End Source: MYSTUDIO HTX/X/Jay Marroquin
A massive explosion followed the crash, sending the radio tower tumbling to the earth. In addition to Marroquin’s video, the Houston Fire Department announced the occurrence in a post on X. As of this moment, no fatalities or injuries had been reported.
“A reported helicopter crash at Engelke & Ennis has PIO on its way there. According to preliminary information, at approximately 7:54 p.m., a helicopter struck a radio tower […]. “All additional information will be obtained from the scene,” their statement continues.
The department shared another post after their first. This one featured pictures of the wreck and the damage, along with the statement, “The FAA will investigate.” Behind the Stellar Bank, at Navigation and Ennis, is media staging.
During a late-night conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire and officials who are looking into the accident’s cause also gave the public an update.
Whitmire said the Houston Fire Department (HFD) Station 17 had been located just down the street from the helicopter crash site and had reached the scene within minutes of hearing the explosion.
Speaking on April 12, 2024, in Houston, Texas, at the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Luncheon & Business Expo | Source: Getty Images
Whitmire said, “This is a tragic event tonight, it’s a tragic loss of life,” while speaking to the public. Noe Diaz, the chief of police in Houston, provided context for the collision by stating that the helicopter had been leaving Ellington Field and was headed to an unidentified location when the mishap occurred.
October 21, 2024: Houston Mayor John Whitmire discussing the accident with Houston authorities | Source: YouTube/FOX 26 Houston
Whitmire said, “We have a terrible accident scene,” after verifying that emergency personnel acted quickly to ensure that Houston people were “secure and safe.” Numerous deaths […] I want to stress that the place is secure, but I will be extremely careful when I describe the facts and specifics.
Posted on October 22, 2024, the radio tower after it fell after the helicopter accident Source: FOX’s YouTube/LiveNOW
According to a news site, the Houston Police Department (HPD) verified the four fatalities—including a child—were thought to have been on the helicopter when it crashed on Monday, October 21, the morning after the incident.
Diaz clarified, “We don’t know the age ranges yet, but that we are pretty sure,” in reference to the fact that one of the victims was a youngster.
Speaking with authorities, Police Chief Noe Diaz | Source: YouTube/FOX 26 Houston
Furthermore, the deceased’s identities have not yet been made public. Speaking on the deaths, Diaz said, “My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the people in the helicopter.”
Video from the October 22, 2024, radio tower and helicopter crash in Houston, Texas | Source: FOX/LiveNOW on YouTube
Regarding this, they asked that anyone who might have seen debris refrain from touching it and instead call the police or fire department, who would handle its safe removal.
According to reports, nobody on the ground was hurt when the tower collapsed, except from the fatalities. Additionally, there was no further damage to the nearby structures.
An image dated October 22, 2024, showing another tower in Houston | Source: YouTube/LiveNOW from FOX
But in the immediate vicinity of the tower, the crash-caused fire destroyed between 100 and 200 yards of grass. Since then, this has been put out.
Mario Castillo, the Houston City Councilmember for District H, acknowledged that the aircraft was used for private tourism, which adds more information. Additionally, authorities stated that the accident is still under investigation and that additional details would be released in the coming days.
CNN released a report revealing that the radio tower’s lights had issues days prior to the crash, as word of the tragedy has been making the rounds.
The lights on the tower were declared “unserviceable” until the end of the month (October 2024) in a notification distributed to pilots by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Towers higher than 200 feet above the ground should be lighted and/or marked, according to the 2020 FAA regulation. Additionally, any loss in the illumination “should be corrected as soon as possible.”
On June 10, 2022, service technicians are seen at the CenterPoint Energy power facility in Houston, Texas, installing transmission towers | Source: Getty Images
Since helicopters usually operate at lower altitudes, guy wires and towers might be dangerous for pilots who might have vision problems at night.
We offer our deepest sympathies to the families who lost loved ones in the collision as the investigation into the incident proceeds.
