What happened
On October 20, 2024, at approximately 19:51 CDT, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration N881KE, crashed into a radio tower near Houston, Texas. The aircraft was operating as a revenue sightseeing flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and three passengers sustained 4 fatal injuries.
According to ADS-B data and air traffic control records, the helicopter departed Ellington Airport at approximately 19:42, flying north and then northwest at an altitude of about 900 feet MSL. The pilot contacted the local air traffic controller to request the "downtown loop." During the flight, the controller issued a traffic advisory regarding another helicopter, N233JD. The pilot acknowledged seeing the traffic on her ADS-B display. While the controller was instructing the pilot to maintain visual separation from the other aircraft, the radio transmission ended abruptly, and no further communication was received from the helicopter.
Witnesses and surveillance footage indicated the helicopter struck a 1,003-foot radio tower approximately 100 feet below the top. The tower featured flashing light beacons at 340 feet, 639 feet, and 1,000 feet. Surveillance video captured the top and middle beacons flashing as the helicopter approached. An explosion occurred upon impact, causing the helicopter to fall to the ground. The radio tower collapsed onto the aircraft, and a post-impact fire destroyed the wreckage.
The debris field extended approximately one-quarter mile northwest of the tower and included components such as main rotor blades, flight controls, landing gear, and parts of the forward fuselage embedded in the tower structure.