Overview
- A Robinson R44 II helicopter plunged into Biscayne Bay near Bill Baggs State Park on Wednesday, leaving one of the three people aboard dead and two adults seriously injured.
- Local boats, Miami‑Dade Fire Rescue units, Key Biscayne and City of Miami fire crews and the U.S. Coast Guard executed search and rescue operations that recovered two survivors and a third person who was pronounced dead on scene.
- Flight‑tracking data and aerial footage show the helicopter took off from North Perry Airport shortly before 11 a.m., circled near the Key Biscayne bridge and ended upside down in the water with yellow emergency flotation devices deployed.
- The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the formal accident investigation with technical support from the FAA and local authorities, and investigators are collecting wreckage, tracking records, footage and witness statements.
- The crash adds to recent high‑profile small‑aircraft accidents in South Florida and has intensified questions about safety for charter and photography flights while the two survivors receive trauma care and next‑of‑kin notifications continue.