RSSHelicopter in Orlando Crashes into House
911 operators were flooded with calls after a helicopter crashed into a house in Orlando on March 24. They reported seeing large amounts of smoke coming from the house after the accident.
Pilot Bruce Teitelbaum, 48, and his wife Marsha Khan, 55, and a friend, Harry Anderson, 42, took off from Orlando Executive Airport around 2 p.m. According to various reports, the flight was for sightseeing around the Orlando area.
Shortly after the Robinson R44 II helicopter lifted off from the airport, Teitelbaum radioed the tower and requested that the craft be allowed to return to the airport. That call took place two minutes before the helicopter crashed into a garage apartment. The accident happened about 2 miles from the airport in a residential neighborhood.
All three passengers in the helicopter died in the accident. A man was inside the apartment at the time of the accident, but he was not injured, according to law enforcement officials. The garage apartment was located behind the main house. The larger house did not suffer any damage in the accident. The accident took place on Edgewater Drive near Lake Concord.
A witness said he saw the helicopter in the sky but something about the vehicle did not sound correct. He said the pilot moved the craft away from his view. Then a few seconds later, he heard an explosion. The man said the electricity in his neighborhood turned off and everything became silent after the accident. He could not believe the fact that a helicopter had crashed a few houses away.
After the accident, people called emergency dispatched and reported the accident. The radio tower had already tried to locate the helicopter but had gotten no response. Fire and police were dispatched to the scene of the accident. It took firefighters several minutes to extinguish the blaze that was caused by the accident, so emergency personnel could survey the damage. Law enforcement officials cordoned off the area, trying to preserve the scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash. They say that a recent rainstorm in the region could hamper the investigation but said they would probably be at the crash scene for several days. Investigators were not willing to speculate on why the helicoptered crashed.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a Florida personal injury, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. immediately at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free initial consultation.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.