Salvage crews pulled a mangled helicopter out of Biscayne Bay on Friday morning, two days after it crashed about 2 miles west of Key Biscayne, off Nixon Beach near Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
Authorities said the lightweight aircraft, owned by TourHelicopter.com, had taken off from North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines to photograph a Poker Run speedboat event. The pilot, Tomas Pendas, 63, was killed. Passengers Ryan McCoy, 52, and Ryan Ferraro, 27, were injured.
Sea Tow Key Biscayne towed the aircraft across the bay to Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables so federal investigators could examine it. Eduardo Barreto, the company’s owner and president, said the crew worked to avoid further damage. The helicopter had been floating upside down, held up by airbag flotation devices attached to its skis.
At the park, Federal Aviation Administration crews removed the main rotor blades and tail boom. Coral Gables Fire Rescue checked the wreckage for leftover fuel and rinsed the airframe before it was loaded onto a flatbed truck and taken to North Perry Airport.
National Transportation Safety Board lead investigator Gene Rambo said there were no immediate new developments. The agency expects to release a preliminary report within 15 days. A final report could take up to 18 months.
