4 Dead, Including a Child, After Helicopter Crashes into Radio Tower in Texas: 'Tragic Event'

Mar. 15, 2025

Multiple people have died, including a child, after a helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston.

In a furthernews conference, the Houston Police Department confirmed there were “multiple fatalities including a child,” but Chief J. Noe Diaz stated authorities “don’t know the age ranges yet.”

Diaz said it was a Robinson R44 private aircraft that had crashed and that there had been four people in the helicopter at the time.

According toABC News,Fox affiliate KRIVandCNN affiliate KTRK, all four people were killed in the crash.

houston fire dept/x

Diaz said preliminary information suggested the aircraft had come out of Ellington Airport before either striking “the cable or actually [striking] the tower.” The airport was thought to have been around 17 miles from the crash site.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire, made sure to praise authorities for their help, saying they ran toward “the fireball” to protect the public.

Police stated the victims' bodies had yet to be identified.

The crash site in Houston.houston fire dept/x

Per U.K. newspaperThe Times, Diaz said of the incident, “This is a tragic event tonight, it’s a tragic loss of life.”

“The residents are secure and safe, but we have a terrible accident scene,” Whitmire added, according toCNN.

The mayor said it was “fortunate” there wasn’t an even bigger explosion due to there being a butane tank in the area.

“It will be a large investigation because of the expanse of the accident,” Diaz added, per CNN. “If residents find helicopter parts in the area, they should avoid touching them and notify fire or police officials.”

A helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston, Texas on Oct. 20.houston fire dept/x

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Manuel Arciniega, who was in the area at the time of the crash, toldNBC affiliate KPRC, “My buddy behind me told me to look up in the sky and I just saw the cell tower crumbling down, they said a helicopter hit it.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told PEOPLE it is investigating alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates, the FAA stated.

source: people.com