March 24 (UPI) — A small helicopter crashed through the roof of a vacant warehouse in southern Florida on Monday, killing both people on board, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Robinson R44 helicopter. The agency said in a statement that the aircraft crashed into the building in Boynton Beach, located about 33 miles north of Fort Lauderdale along Florida’s eastern coast, at about 12:30 p.m. EDT Monday.
Two people were on board, it said.
Boynton Beach police officers responded to the crash scene near 3800 South Congress Avenue and found no survivors, the department said in a statement.
Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Matt Oxendine told reporters in a press conference that crews secured the scene and were waiting for FAA inspectors to arrive.
He said there was nothing inside the warehouse, and drywall workers on the site were outside when the crash occurred.
“This building is not even open yet,” he said. “I don’t know if they were trying to land or not, that’s just where they ended up on one of the roofs.”
No smoke or fire was reported, Oxendine added.
Both the FAA and the NTSB said they were investigating.
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