Names of the deceased have been released.
Authorities ID 3 Killed in Helicopter Crash Into Newport Beach Home
Posted 10:10 AM, January 31, 2018, by Anthony Kurzweil and Lauren Lyster, Updated at 10:26AM, January 31, 2018
Authorities have released the names of the three victims who died when a helicopter crashed into a Newport Beach home Tuesday afternoon.
Joseph Anthony Tena, 60, of Newport Beach and Kimberly Lynne Watzman, 45, of Santa Monica were initially identified by the Orange County Sheriff's Department on Twitter Wednesday.
The third victim, Brian R. Reichelt, 56, of Hollywood, Florida, was identified a short time later in a second tweet.
The Robinson 44 helicopter they were aboard crashed under unknown circumstances into a home at the corner of Shearwater Place and Egret Court about 1:45 p.m.
The aircraft had departed from John Wayne Airport on its way to Catalina when it crashed shortly after take-off, said National Transportation Safety Board Senior Investigator Joshua Cawthra.
A total of five people were involved in the crash, including four aboard the helicopter and one bystander on the ground.
The pilot and two passengers were killed in the crash, Cawthra said.
A third passenger aboard the helicopter was seriously injured.
Orange County Global Medical Center received a patient from the crash scene, spokesman Jeff Corless confirmed.
The patient is being treated and is in critical, but stable condition, Corless said.
The person injured on the ground had minor injuries, and was treated and released from a local hospital, Cawthra said.
Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB officials are investigating the cause of the crash and were combing through the wreckage Wednesday for clues.
Cawthra said no distress call was ever made from the helicopter prior to it going down.
The aircraft is owned by Spitzer Helicopter and was under lease to Revolution Aviation, which offers flight training and tours, according to its website.
However, investigators have determined this flight was not part of a class or sightseeing tour, Cawthra said.
A probable cause report from the NTSB typically takes months if not more than a year to be completed, FAA Public Affairs Manager Ian Gregor said.
Authorities ID 3 Killed in Helicopter Crash Into Newport Beach Home | KTLA