Small helicopter with 3 aboard crashes off Miami, officials say

A small helicopter carrying three people crashed late Wednesday morning off Key Biscayne, Florida, the Federal Aviation Administration said, leaving the aircraft upside down with just its landing skids visible in the water near Miami.

Two adults aboard were taken a nearby trauma center, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told CNN. The condition of the third occupant wasn’t immediately known.

The helicopter’s skids appear to have been equipped with yellow flotation devices that can inflate like a life vest to help keep it afloat if it lands or crashes in water, aerial images from the scene show.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate, both agencies confirmed.

The crash follows a collision last week of two helicopters in Oregon that left three people dead and a crash the prior month of a news helicopter in Los Angeles that also killed three.

The Robinson R44 helicopter involved in Wednesday’s crash took off shortly before 11 a.m. from North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida, according to the tracking site Flightradar24. It flew south and made several circles near the bridge to Key Biscayne, a barrier island, before turning to the south and crashing about seven minutes later.

Thunderstorms, with lightning and light rain, along with a 9-mph wind from the east were reported around that time at the nearest weather station, Miami International Airport, about 14 miles from Key Biscayne. Gusts of 20 mph were reported closer to the site.

The Robinson R44 is a very popular small helicopter, with more than 7,800 built according to the company. Worldwide last year, 118 were involved in crashes, including 24 fatal ones, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

There were 191 helicopter crashes last year in the US, 32 of them fatal, the safety network recorded.

CNN’s Alexandra Skores and Aaron Cooper and CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

美国联邦航空管理局称，周三上午晚些时候，一架载有三人的小型直升机在佛罗里达州基比斯坎附近坠毁，飞机倒扣在迈阿密附近的水中，只见起落架清晰可见。

迈阿密-戴德消防救援部门告诉CNN，机上两名成年人已被送往附近的创伤中心。第三名乘客的情况尚不清楚。

现场航拍图像显示，直升机的起落架似乎装有黄色的漂浮装置，可以像救生衣一样充气，以帮助其在降落或坠入水中时保持漂浮。

美国国家运输安全委员会和联邦航空管理局均证实，双方将对此事展开调查。

此次坠机事件发生在上周俄勒冈州两架直升机相撞造成三人死亡，以及上个月洛杉矶一架新闻直升机坠毁造成三人死亡之后。

据航班追踪网站Flightradar24显示，周三坠毁的罗宾逊R44直升机于上午11点前不久从佛罗里达州彭布罗克派恩斯的北佩里机场起飞。它向南飞行，在通往基比斯坎岛（一个屏障岛）的桥梁附近盘旋数圈，然后转向南方，大约7分钟后坠毁。

当时，距离基比斯坎岛约14英里的迈阿密国际机场气象站报告称，当地出现雷暴天气，伴有闪电和零星小雨，并刮着9英里/小时的东风。靠近基比斯坎岛的地区报告阵风风速达20英里/小时。

罗宾逊R44是一款非常受欢迎的小型直升机，据该公司称，其产量已超过7800架。根据航空安全网数据库，去年全球共有118起R44直升机坠毁事故，其中24起为致命事故。

据安全网络记录，去年美国共发生 191 起直升机坠毁事故，其中 32 起造成人员死亡。

CNN的Alexandra Skores和Aaron Cooper以及CNN气象学家Mary Gilbert对本报道亦有贡献。

这是一则正在更新的新闻。