One Person On The Ground Seriously Injured In Accident Near The Space Needle

A news-gathering helicopter belonging to television station KOMO in Seattle went down Tuesday morning resulting in the fatal injury of the pilot and one other person on board. A third person in a car on the ground was seriously injured in the post-impact fire.

According to a report from KOMO, the aircraft went down yards from the Space Needle just after takeoff Tuesday morning. Three vehicles were struck as the helicopter came down. Fuel from the wreckage caught fire and burned for a block around the accident site.

The Seattle Fire Department said that the remains of two people were found in the wreckage of the aircraft.

Witnesses said they saw the aircraft depart from the roof of Fisher Plaza, which is across the street from the Seattle landmark. One said that the aircraft appeared to be "trying to stabilize" when it "just took a nose dive right down there on the street."

Other reports said that the aircraft was landing on the building when it went down.

Fire crews extinguished the flames within a half hour. The person injured on the ground was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment, KOMO reported.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov