A helicopter crashed into a 1,000ft radio tower in Houston, Texas, on Sunday night (October 20), killing all four people on board.

The helicopter hit the structure at around 7:54 pm, with CNN reporting it was flying at around 600ft when it collided with the tower.

CNN reported that lighting on the tower failed days before it was hit by the helicopter.

According to Houston Fire Department, an R44 helicopter hit the tower, east of the city’s downtown, after it had reportedly set off from Ellington Field about 15 miles away.

The identities of the victims, which include a child, have not yet been released.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board were expected at the crash site this week to examine and recover the aircraft.

CCTV footage appeared to show the top of the tower had some lighting, however, there was no other visible lighting on the structure.

CNN stated that the tower’s lights were “unserviceable” until the end of the month, as per a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notice to pilots published last Thursday.

The tower itself is owned by SBA Communications, which according to Wireless Estimator, only took ownership of the tower on October 10 after acquiring the tower from Univision, which had owned the structure since it was built in 1987.

In a statement today, SBA spokesperson Lynne Hopkins said the company is cooperating with authorities on a full investigation.

"Our understanding is that a guyed tower was struck by a private helicopter, resulting in the death of four individuals who were on board," said Hopkins. "We are in the process of cooperating with authorities on a full investigation. This is a tragic incident, and we ask everyone to please keep the deceased and their families in their thoughts and prayers."

Hopkins claimed that there had been some inaccurate coverage of the event, noting that questions had been raised regarding the filing of a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) for the cell [sic] tower in Houston.

"NOTAMs with the FAA are to inform pilots of work notices, potential hazards, or changes that may impact their flight. These types of notifications are to provide pilots information and direction to be cautious of a specific location and may be filed for a variety of reasons.

"This specific site was recently acquired by SBA on Sept 6, 2024.  As part of our standard process for newly acquired sites, SBA ensured a NOTAM was in place for this site in order to exercise caution during the change of ownership while we integrate the site into our Network Operations Center (NOC) for continuous 24/7 monitoring pursuant to FAA and FCC regulations."

DCD's sympathies go out to the family and friends of those involved in the incident.