One person has died and two others have been injured after a helicopter crashed into Biscayne Bay near Key Biscayne, Miami, on Wednesday morning, November 4.
Emergency services were dispatched to the water shortly after 11am following reports that an aircraft had gone down.
The US Coast Guard confirmed that three people were aboard the helicopter, with one pronounced dead and the other two transported to hospital for treatment.
Footage from the scene showed emergency personnel working near the crash site, where a yellow covering appeared to be placed over a body.
Separate images captured an injured man being carried away on a stretcher by rescue workers.
Flotation equipment could also be seen in the water following the incident.
FAA Identifies Aircraft as Robinson R44
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the aircraft as a Robinson R44 helicopter, which had three people on board when it crashed.
In a statement, the agency said the helicopter went down in the water east of Miami Executive Airport at approximately 11.15am local time.
The FAA confirmed that it would investigate the incident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will take the lead in the investigation and provide updates.
FlightAware tracking data showed a helicopter of the same model rapidly losing altitude over Biscayne Bay around the time of the crash.
The aircraft had departed North Perry Airport at 10.48am and was flying over the bay when the recorded altitude drop occurred.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the aircraft tracked by FlightAware was the helicopter involved in the accident.
Two Survivors Transported to Trauma Centre
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed that three patients were reported following the crash.
According to the department, two adult patients requiring trauma care were transported by ground rescue teams from Miami Fire Rescue and Key Biscayne Fire Rescue to a designated landing zone.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue subsequently used its air rescue service to transfer both patients to the main trauma centre.
The US Coast Guard also confirmed that its Southeast division and partner agencies responded to the incident at approximately 11.30am.
In its statement, the agency reported that one person had died while the remaining two were transported by emergency medical services for a higher level of care.
The NTSB confirmed that it was investigating the November 4 crash of a Robinson R44 II helicopter near Key Biscayne, Florida.
Crash Comes Days After Fatal Learjet Disaster in Palm Beach
The helicopter accident occurred just days after a Learjet 60 crashed in West Palm Beach, north of Miami, killing all nine people aboard on Sunday.
The aircraft was piloted by Jeff Gregory, 55, alongside his 20-year-old copilot, Nathalia Filgueiras, when it plunged to the ground.
Among those killed were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife, ceramicist Helen Sharp, 40, and their two young children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two.
The family had been travelling from their home in Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas to celebrate Robinson’s birthday.
Two of Robinson’s friends, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, were also aboard the aircraft, alongside the children’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina.
Pilots Reported Ice Accumulation and Severe Turbulence
Radio communications released following the Learjet crash revealed that the aircraft’s crew had reported ice accumulating on the plane before the collision.
Filgueiras told air traffic controllers that severe turbulence was causing the aircraft to move up and down by more than 700 feet.
She also described the plane banking at a 60-degree angle while reporting changes in its altitude.
During the final moments of the flight, the copilot was heard screaming, “We’re going to die!” before the aircraft struck the ground and burst into flames.
Gregory could reportedly be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer in the background as the jet descended.
The fatal Learjet crash and Wednesday’s helicopter accident have both occurred in South Florida within a matter of days.
