By Ahmed Abdelsalam
One person died and two others were injured when a helicopter plunged into Biscayne Bay near Miami on Wednesday, authorities said. The Robinson R44 II aircraft went down shortly before noon close to Bill Baggs State Park off Key Biscayne, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Crash details
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed three people were on board; one was pronounced dead and the other two were transported to a trauma center. Emergency responders from several local fire departments joined the Coast Guard at the scene. Television footage showed the helicopter upside down in the water with two yellow emergency floats attached to its landing skids.
Investigation underway
The National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter appeared to be on a photography flight. The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB will investigate the cause. Officials have not released the identities of the occupants.
Recent aviation incidents
The crash occurred three days after a private jet crashed in Palm Beach County, killing all nine people aboard. That Learjet 90, bound for the Bahamas, slammed into the ground with such force it created a crater and scattered debris up to 3.8 miles from the impact site.
