HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicates that the pilot of the fatal helicopter crash on October 20 was reading instructions related to a traffic advisory when he collided with a radio tower in Houston’s Second Ward.

According to the Houston Fire Department, the helicopter struck a radio tower at Engelke and Ennis around 7:54 p.m. that night.

The video above is from a previous report.

The family members of victims said Julio “Cesar” Lerma was taking his son Dylon and his son’s mother, Marie Alonso, for a helicopter ride operated by National Helicopter Solutions when the helicopter crashed into a transmission tower shortly before 8 p.m. today -there.

The three men and the pilot were killed.

Today, more than a week after the accident, the NTSB released a preliminary report on the incident. The report states, “the pilot established communication with the local air traffic controller and requested the ‘downtown loop’.”

According to the report, a few minutes later, the controller issued a traffic advisory for a helicopter from another company. At this point, the pilot recognized traffic in sight.

“The controller instructed the accident pilot to maintain visual separation from traffic, and the pilot was reading instructions when the radio transmission abruptly stopped,” the report states.

After that, no further communication was transmitted.

Following the impact, an explosion occurred, causing the helicopter to fall to the ground and the tower to collapse, causing a fire.

Among the growing concerns about the accident was that maybe the tower lights weren’t onbut the NTSB report states: “The tower was equipped with flashing light beacons at 1,000 feet, 639 feet and 340 feet from the surface. Surveillance video showed the tower’s upper and middle beacons flashing.”

However, it is not yet clear whether the lowest level of the tower’s lights were on.

“According to the owner of the radio tower, the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued due to the recent change of ownership, and there was no failure of the tower’s flashing lights,” the report added.

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