MIAMI (WSVN) - A helicopter crash off Key Biscayne that left a man dead and sent two others to the hospital is raising questions as federal investigators work to determine what went wrong.
It’s still too early to say what caused a Robinson R44 helicopter to go down in Biscayne Bay, late Wednesday morning. The aircraft ended up fully submerged and upside down in the water, its yellow floaters seen bobbing on the surface.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz confirmed one of the three men on board did not survive.
This is a very tragic event,” she said.
After the chopper crashed, MDSO officials said, someone on a boat tried to save the unresponsive victim by performing CPR before first responders took over.
“Unfortunately, even through all the life-saving efforts, the individual was pronounced deceased on the scene,” said Cordero-Stutz.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the small helicopter crashed near Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park just after 11 a.m.
“The helicopter apparently is a chartered helicopter and was in the process of filming boats on the water,” said Cordero-Stutz.
The flight tracking system FlightAware shows the chopper took off from North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, plummeting into Biscayne Bay not long after.
“Apparently right now the float is upside down right now. They’ve retrieved the pilot already,” said an air traffic controller in radio transmissions.
7Skyforce hovered above the scene a short time later.
“What you’re looking at right now is the area rescue helicopter that has landed at No Name Harbor in Key Biscayne to pick up two of the survivors of the helicopter crash,” said 7Skyforce’s Ralph Rayburn.
7Skyfirce also captured a yellow tarp on a dock.
“The dreaded yellow tarp, right there in the center of the screen. We believe that is the person that did not survive this helicopter crash,” said Rayburn.
Paramedics placed the surviving victims on stretchers and airlifted them to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Rider Trauma Center. Investigators said both patients suffered critical injuries but are stable.
Now investigators are tasked with figuring out what led to this crash.
“Our hearts go out to the people affected by this tragedy and prayers for those who were lost,” said Cordero-Stutz.
As of Thursday morning, the sheriff’s office has yet to identify any of the people who were involved in this crash as, they said, they were still notifying loved ones.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating this crash. The NTSB is leading the investigation.
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