Oct. 21 (UPI) — Multiple people, including a child, are dead after a private helicopter crashed into a Houston radio tower Sunday night, according to authorities and officials.
The crash occurred shortly before 8 p.m. local time Sunday near the intersection of Engelke Street and North Ennis Street in Houston.
Mayor John Whitmire told reporters during a press conference that the crash was heard by local firefighters who responded to the scene. A large fireball was also observed being ejected into the air, he said.
The authorities and officials said four people were aboard the private aircraft but would not specify the death toll, only confirming that multiple fatalities, including a child, had occurred.
Next of kin had yet to be notified, Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz explained.
No injuries were reported on the ground, with the mayor stating nearby residents and structures were unharmed.
“Residents are secure and safe, but we have a terrible accident scene,” Whitmire said. “Multiple fatalities. Helicopter destroyed.”
He added that the helicopter, which Diaz specified as a R44 aircraft, appeared to have departed Ellington Airport, though its destination was unknown.
Some homes in the vicinity reported power outages due to the crash, the mayor said.
He also said they are “fortunate it wasn’t worse,” as a butane gas tank was near the crash.
“We need to keep the family of the victims in our prayers and be glad we live in a great city that comes together during tragic times like this,” he said.
The cause of the crash was under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as local police and fire agencies, the officials and authorities said.
The mayor said the investigation will take days to complete.
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.
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The Artemis II crew made their return to Earth on Friday following the Orion spacecraft’s historic 10-day trip around the Moon, capturing the attention of awestruck fans nationwide.
In stadiums across the country, Jumbotrons projected the team’s successful splashdown into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, Calif.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft with Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist aboard is seen as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Viewers watched in open amazement as the capsule, crewed by commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, parachuted from the skies into the ocean.
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.
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The trip broke the record for farthest space flight accomplished by humans and gave the scientists aboard the spacecraft a chance to test critical systems within Orion, including the ship’s life support system, maneuverability, its heat shield, and the first toilet to ever orbit the moon.
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, left, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, are seen sitting on a Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 on the flight deck of USS John P. Murtha.
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Humankind hasn’t set foot on the moon since 1972’s Apollo 17. The Artemis mission series seeks to change that. The third flight of the series is expected to launch sometime next year, with the plan to stay in Earth orbit to test the gear that will send astronauts to the lunar surface.
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship.
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new video loaded: Police Fatally Shoot Man After Stabbings at Grand Central Subway Station
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Two officers, detectives assigned to transit overtime posts, were flagged down by a civilian reporting that a man armed with a knife had just stabbed multiple people on the subway platform. The individual was armed with a large knife, described as a machete, and was behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer. He then advanced toward the officers with the knife extended. One officer discharged his firearm, striking the perpetrator twice. The individual was transported to Bellevue Hospital and he was pronounced deceased.
By Cynthia Silva
April 11, 2026
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York has launched an investigation into a sexual assault allegation against Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., NBC News confirmed Saturday.
Multiple women in the last two days have come forward alleging that Swalwell sexually assaulted or harassed them while serving in Congress, including one who alleged he assaulted her in New York. Swalwell has denied the allegations.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office urged “survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373. Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner.”
On Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that one woman said she had sexual encounters with the congressman when he was her boss and alleged that he twice sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent. One of those incidents, the woman alleged, took place in New York in 2024.
And later Friday, CNN reported on sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell from three additional women, including one who said he kissed her without her consent in public and two others who said the congressman sent them unsolicited photos or videos of his penis.
NBC News has not independently corroborated their stories.
CNN was the first to report of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office investigation.
Representatives for Swalwell’s office and campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Swalwell on Friday denied the allegations in a video posted to X, telling viewers: “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have.”
The CNN and San Francisco Chronicle stories were reported just weeks before California voters are set to begin voting in the state’s primary for governor, where Swalwell has been a leading candidate in a crowded field of Democrats, including former Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer and former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
On Friday and Saturday, multiple high-profile figures and groups rescinded their previous endorsements of Swalwell, including the California Federation of Labor Unions and the California chapter of the Service Employees International Union.
Democratic leaders in the House, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., on Friday called the allegations against Swalwell “disturbing” and urged him to “immediately end his campaign to be California’s next Governor.”
On Saturday, two Republican congresswomen vowed to seek punishment against against Swalwell in the wake of the sexual assault allegations.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said in a post on X that she plans to force a floor vote this week on a resolution to censure Swalwell, which would require a simple majority to succeed.
And Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said in a post on X that she plans to introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell from Congress. That resolution would have a higher threshold for passage, with two-thirds of the chamber needing to vote in favor.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Adam Edelman contributed.
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