The key facts

  • The crash occurred after 11:50 a.m. local time southwest of Key Biscayne, near Nixon Beach
  • On board were a pilot and two passengers; two were hospitalized, their condition unknown
  • The cause of the helicopter crash has not been named

Crash near Key Biscayne

On Wednesday, after 11:50 a.m. local time, a small helicopter fell into the water southwest of Key Biscayne in Biscayne Bay near Miami, Florida. According to the TV station WSVN-7News, cited by Anadolu, two people were injured in the crash, and one more is presumed dead.

Rescue operation and casualties

There were three people on board the helicopter — the pilot and two passengers, reports Life.ru citing ABC News. Miami-Dade County rescuers were dispatched to the scene near Nixon Beach. WSVN-7News's own helicopter, 7Skyforce, filmed from the air a fire department rescue boat next to the yellow emergency flotation devices of the downed aircraft; the footage shows an overturned helicopter. The body of the presumed victim was covered with a yellow tarp. Paramedics were to take the two survivors to a hospital; their condition was not reported at the time of publication.

Cause unknown; second aviation disaster in Florida within days

The cause of the helicopter crash has not yet been determined. This is already the second major aviation disaster in Florida within days: on November 1, a Learjet 60 business jet crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, killing all nine people on board. According to Life.ru, before the fall the crew reported icing and turbulence, and investigators found signs of possible in-flight breakup of the aircraft. The publications do not say whether the two incidents are connected.