4 dead as helicopter crashes into radio tower in Houston

A helicopter crashed into a radio tower near downtown Houston Sunday night, killing four people on board, including a child, NBC News reported, citing fire officials.

Houston authorities said the aircraft, a privately-owned R44 helicopter, went down just before 8 p.m. after taking off from Ellington Field, about 15 miles away. Its destination wasn't immediately known.

A nearby security camera caught the crash as it happened:

MYSTUDIO HTX security camera caught the moment a helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston's Second Ward, East End at 7:51:19 PM. #helicopter #helicoptercrash #houston #breaking #breakingnews #houston #secondward #mystudiohtx #jaymarroquin @KHOU @abc13houston @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/rap61Xr0XN

— Jay Marroquin (@JayMarroquin) October 21, 2024

CBS Houston affiliate KHOU-TV reported that the tower's lights weren't working, and the Federal Aviation Administration had put out a notification about it:

The bodies haven't been identified and the victims' ages haven't been determined, authorities said.

Local media outlets reported a large amount of emergency personnel responding to the scene.

Police and fire officials urged residents near the crash site to call 911 if they find anything on their property that could help in their investigation.