Four people were killed, including a child, after a helicopter crashed into a radio tower Sunday night in Houston.
The crash occurred during an air tour, the National Transportation Safety Board said. It happened around 7:54 p.m., according to the Houston Fire Department.
The helicopter had taken off from Ellington Airport and went down about 17 miles northwest.
Everyone on board the aircraft died in the crash. Their identities have not been released. No on on the ground was injured, despite the crash causing a large fire.
“This is a tragic event tonight,” Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said at a press conference. “A tragic loss of life.”
The Federal Aviation Administration, NTSB, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Houston Fire Department are all investigating — with the NTSB as the lead agency.
Chief Diaz said the accident scene was spread out and it would take time for a full documentation to take place. He warned the public not to touch any debris they may find.
The cause of the crash is unclear but the radio tower’s lights were reported as inoperable last week, according to KHOU 11.
The crash destroyed the helicopter and tower, but no other structures were damaged.
