Helicopter crash Seattle: A chopper crashed in downtown Seattle Tuesday morning, killing two of its on-board passengers and leaving one person injured, CBS Atlanta reported March 18.
The chopper, which belongs to KOMO TV, apparently crashed just a few minutes after its takeoff from the Fisher Plaza helipad.
"We heard the chopper swirling down to the ground. Rushed out to see the unbelievable, our @komonews chopper crashing into at least 2 cars," reporter Kelly Koopmans wrote on Twitter.
At least three cars erupted in flames at the scene where the helicopter crashed in Seattle, according to responding firefighters.
Two on-board people reportedly died upon the accident; they were identified as helicopter pilot Gary Pfitzner and former longtime KOMO photographer Bill Strothman. Both were working for the helicopter leasing company.
Local firefighters said they found Pfitzner and Strothman's bodies at the scene, yards away from The Space Needle.
Additionally, they also said that another person was injured from the crash, and he was rushed to Harborview Medical Center. The injured 37-year-old victim of the helicopter crash accident in Seattle was not yet named but he was listed in critical condition with burns up to 20 percent of his body, My Fox Atlanta reported.
A KOMO TV report published on its website stated that a man was seen running from one of the cars that were hit by the downed chopper. His clothing was on fire.
Authorities reportedly extinguished the flame on the man's clothing while the fire crews extinguished the car fires.
According to Helicopters Inc. - the owner of the helicopter that crashed in Seattle - the chopper may have struck a crane a few minutes after its takeoff, but investigators are yet to confirm the said claim.
On the other hand, The Space Needle was closed down "out of respect for those impacted" as stated on the landmark's official Twitter account.
Investigation on the crash is still on-going and Seattle police said it will remain an "active scene" for many hours.
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