2 killed when helicopter crashes into Boynton Beach warehouse roof, FAA says
Two people were killed when a helicopter they were on crashed into a vacant warehouse in Boynton Beach on Monday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
According to information provided by the FAA on Tuesday morning, the Robinson R44 helicopter crashed around 12:30 p.m., killing the two unidentified people on board.
Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash, with the FAA saying that the NTSB would take the lead on the investigation.
When Riley Pilot heard a boom, he said he had no idea he was hearing a helicopter crash into the building behind him.
"Kind of crazy," he said. "We were all in there, and next thing you hear is 'Boom. What the heck was that?'" Pilot said.
Video from Chopper 4 showed what looked like parts of the helicopter sunken into the roof.
"I was in the shop. I thought someone dropped a door or something like that it was real loud, didn't expect to see something like this," Pilot said.
The crash happened right behind Master Auto Body.
Owner Angela Povio said, "It sounded like a car fell off of a lift or it wasn't a big explosion, but it was loud, very loud."
Rhett Savidge said he saw the R44 helicopter going down nose first.
"I was leaving work for lunch. I stopped at the stop sign down there. In the corner of my eye I saw a helicopter coming straight down, like it was coming to the end of a barrel roll," Savidge said.
Fire rescue said it took them a minute to find it, with the doors of the warehouse closed and no fire or smoke.
"I don't know if they were trying to land or not – that's just where they ended up – it's a lightweight truss roof, so it actually crashed through it," Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Matt Oxendine said.
Savidge said he took video inside the building, but did not see the wreckage, only gushing water.
"Looks like he maybe hit a water main, it was pouring water down," he said.
No other information was released.