Julio Cesar Lerma,Samantha Grandbouche Obituary, Death; – The identities of the four individuals who lost their lives in the helicopter crash that occurred on Sunday night in Houston’s East End were made public on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the family of Cesar Lerma confirmed his identity as one of the victims. He was among three passengers aboard the National Helicopter Solutions helicopter during a tour of the city. The Medical Examiner’s Office subsequently released the names of the other victims: Samantha Grandbouche, the pilot; Julio (Cesar) Lerma, a passenger; Dylon Lerma, a passenger; and Marie Alonso, a passenger.
The Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that Grandbouche died from multiple blunt force injuries, while the passengers suffered fatalities due to a combination of multiple blunt force and thermal burn injuries.
Incident Overview
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz reported that the helicopter had taken off from Ellington Field and was en route to an undisclosed location when it crashed.
Multiple videos obtained by KPRC 2 captured the moment the Robinson R44 helicopter collided with a radio tower. According to FlightAware data, the helicopter was traveling at a speed of 108 miles per hour and was flying at an altitude of 600 feet when the incident occurred. The crash resulted in the deaths of Lerma, two family members, and the pilot.
Fortunately, no individuals on the ground were injured as a result of the crash or the subsequent collapse of the tower. Aside from the tower itself, no other structures were damaged. The fire ignited by the crash consumed approximately 100 to 200 yards of grass in the vicinity of the tower but has since been extinguished. An investigation into the crash is being conducted by the FAA, NTSB, DPS, HPD, and HFD.