INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
4 people aboard a helicopter were eliminated when it crashed into a radio tower in Houston and burst into flames, officials said.The
helicopter went down prior to 8 p.m
Sunday in a neighborhood east of downtown after taking off from Ellington Field, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, Mayor John Whitmire
said at a news conference
He didnâ $ t know the flightâ $ s destination.Officials stated no one on the ground was injured, and no nearby homes were harmed, though
The crash triggered a fire that burned about 100 to 200 lawns (91 to 183 meters) of lawn, authorities said.Firefighters at a close-by
station heard the crash and reacted, Whitmire stated
He said it was a â $ horrible mishap sceneâ $ and that the tower and helicopter were ruined
Some location citizens lost power, Whitmire said.â $ It is surrounded by houses and thatâ $ s where we were extremely lucky â $ that it
didnâ $ t fall in one direction or another, â $ Whitmire said
â $ And the fireball pretty much was isolated.â $ The National Transportation Safety Board stated in a statement that it is investigating
the crash of the Robinson R44 II helicopter, which initial info shows was operating as an air tour flight
The NTSB said the helicopter crashed into a radio tower â $ under unknown scenarios, â $ leading to a fire.Officials said the four
individuals aboard the helicopter consisted of a child however the identities of the victims and their ages have not yet been
released.Police and fire officials have advised residents near the crash website to call 911 if they find anything on their residential or
commercial property that could assist in their investigation.Police officers on Monday were searching an area of around 4 acres (1.6
hectares) for debris from the crash, said Lt
Jonathan French.NTSB investigators, who arrived on website Monday, started collecting proof and will return Tuesday to continue that work,
said Brian Rutt, an air safety detective for the firm
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.Source: AP-- AgenciesÂ
