Lights on tower hit in deadly Houston helicopter crash had history of not working: report
HOUSTON -- The aviation obstruction lights at the top of a radio tower hit by a helicopter in a deadly crash in Houston, Texas, have a history of not working, according to a report.
SkyEye reporter Don Armstrong, with our sister station KTRK, said in his years of flying in helicopters, the Houston radio tower has always worried him because the aviation obstruction lighting -- the red flashing lights at the top of the tower -- are often out.
With the background of downtown Houston behind the tower coming up from the south, Armstrong said the tower would be almost impossible to see unless you knew it was there.
Armstrong said part of a pilot's check before they take off is to see if there are problems with any towers around town. He said that particular tower reported the lighting being out to the FAA just days ago on Oct. 17.
KTRK obtained surveillance video that shows the moment the helicopter crashed into the tower, killing all four people on board, including a child. The ages and identities of the victims were not immediately released.
In the surveillance video, it appeared at least one light on the tower was on, though it's unclear if the lights were in full working order.
Now, the investigation into what exactly went wrong begins.
"We had a caller coming to the station. There's a large collapse behind the station with smoke showing. We're trying to find the exact location," first responders were heard reporting on radio traffic.
The deadly crash happened right by Fire Station 17 just before 8 p.m. Sunday.
Officials said the private helicopter took off from Ellington Field. It's unclear where it was headed.
There area a lot of homes and businesses in the area where it crashed. Thankfully, the helicopter didn't hit anything else on the way down and officials said no one on the ground was hurt.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz has a message for residents in the area as they wake up and may see some pieces of the helicopter.
"It will be a large investigation because of the expanse of the accident. So make sure that if you actually see something on the ground that you notify either fire or dial the police department so that we can make sure to come out and recover it," Diaz said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Houston Police Department, and Houston Fire Department area all investigating.
