Lighting on radio tower reportedly failed days before helicopter crashed into it, killing 4 people

(CNN) — Lighting on a Houston radio tower reportedly failed just days before it was hit by a helicopter on Sunday, killing four people in a fiery explosion that toppled the tower and left debris scattered through the neighborhood.

Operating as an air tour flight, the helicopter was flying at an altitude of 600 feet when it slammed into the 1,000-foot-high tower just before 8 p.m. Sunday, according to open-source data and investigating officials.

The tower’s lights were “unserviceable” until the end of the month, according to a Federal Aviation Administration notice to pilots published last Thursday.

Towers higher than 200 feet above ground level “should normally be marked and/or lighted,” and any tower lighting outage “should be corrected as soon as possible,” according to FAA guidance published in 2020.

Towers and guy wires pose a unique hazard to helicopters, which typically fly at low altitudes and can be especially difficult for pilots to spot at night. Video of the crash shows at least one flashing light at the very top of the tower but the rest of the tower does not appear to be illuminated.

The crash ignited a large explosion near Engelke Street and North Ennis Street that could be heard at a fire station nearly half a mile from the site, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said during a late-night news conference.

The crash killed all four people, including a child, on board the privately owned Robinson R44 helicopter, according to Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and federal officials. Whitmire confirmed the deaths, CNN affiliate KTRK reported.

While the cause of the crash remains unclear, NTSB officials are expected at the crash site Monday to examine and recover the aircraft, the agency told CNN.

The aircraft appears to have departed the Ellington Airport, which is about 17 miles south of the crash site but its destination was unclear, the mayor said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is also investigating.

Surveillance video from a nearby home obtained by CNN shows what appears to be the helicopter flying toward the tower, then exploding on collision, lighting up the sky.

Witness video shows fire personnel urging onlookers to clear the area where a fire was burning and warning them of a nearby gas tank.

“This is a tragic event tonight. It’s a tragic loss of life,” Diaz said.

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

Photos shared by the fire department show the mangled tower draped across a dirt clearing behind a line of homes.

Officials advised residents who see human remains around the crash site to leave the area alone and report it to authorities.

The mayor said the city is “fortunate” the explosion was not more severe because there is a gas tank in the area.

Manuel Arciniega was nearby when the crash occurred, according to CNN 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,” Arciniega told the affiliate.

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

CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas, Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.

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