However, the fire that resulted from the crash burned approximately 100-200 yards of grass in the direct area surrounding the tower. This has since been extinguished.
Additional details include the fact that Houston City Councilmember for District H, Mario Castillo, confirmed that the helicopter was one used for private touring. Authorities also made it clear that the accident is still being investigated and more information will be dispersed in the days to come.
Since news of the tragedy has circulated public spheres, CNN published an article disclosing the fact that days before the crash, the radio tower’s lighting had problems.
A notice shared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to pilots stipulated that the tower’s lights were “unserviceable” until the end of the month (October 2024).
The 2020 FAA guideline states that towers with heights of over 200 feet above ground level should be lighted and/or marked. Furthermore, any lighting outage “should be corrected as soon as possible.”
Service technicians working on installing transmission towers at the CenterPoint Energy power plant in Houston, Texas on June 10, 2022 | Source: Getty Images
Given that helicopters typically fly at lower altitudes, guy wires, and towers tend to pose a hazard for helicopter pilots who may have trouble seeing such objects at night.
As the investigation into the crash continues, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones due to the accident.