Broward Sheriff's employees injured in helicopter crash released from hospital
FORT LAUDERDALE - Two Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue employees who were on board a helicopter that crashed into a Pompano Beach apartment building on Monday were released from the hospital Tuesday.
The chopper's pilot Daron Roche, 37, and firefighter paramedic Mikael "Mike" Chaguaceda, 31, were able to climb out of the wreckage after the crash and were taken to the hospital to be checked out.
A third member of the helicopter crew, Captain Terryson Jackson, and a woman who was in her home died in the crash. Four others were injured.
"He was one of my firefighters. We lost one of our captains today who was onboard serving his community, hoping that he would get a chance to do what he does best which is to land and extract somebody else. Unfortunately, in the crash, he was trapped, could not get out, and we lost him," said Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Chief Michael Kane confirmed Tuesday that Jackson was posthumously promoted to battalion chief. Kane said that Jackson had been on the list to be promoted pending a vacancy.
The Broward School Board held a moment of silence for Jackson at their Tuesday morning meeting.
In the wake of Monday's crash, all of the Broward Sheriff's aircraft fleet has been grounded pending re-inspection.
During a news conference Tuesday, Sheriff Tony said he has spoken to executive at Boeing and they have agreed to fast track a helicopter replacement program for the county and allow Broward to take possession of a state-of-the art chopper.
"With tragedy there's an opportunity," he said. "We can get this right or wait for the next tragedy."
As part of that effort, the sheriff said he is making arrangements to secure two new helicopters with could be delivered over the next two to three years.
The sheriff said his ultimate goal is to have six new helicopters in his fleet, a plan that would cost between $60 and $70 million.
"We're not just the support network for Broward," he said. "We support Miami-Dade and Palm Beach."
Monday's crash happened around 8:45 a.m. at a building located at West Dixie Highway and NE 10th Street, about 10 blocks north of West Atlantic Boulevard.
The helicopter had been dispatched to pick up a woman who had been involved in a crash in North Lauderdale. On route, Sheriff Tony said it developed catastrophic engine failure and a fire broke out.
According to air traffic control at the airport, the pilot reported engine failure in the moments before the crash.
"Just a bunch of black smoke and it was kind of just completely out of control," said Cary Allen who saw the helicopter. "It just started to circle out of control and plummeted down through the apartment roof. I just heard three loud explosions. Just boom, boom, boom, very very loud."
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash. NTSB investigators were on site Tuesday gathering information for the on-scene portion of the investigation. The investigators will document the accident site and wreckage, and gather witness statements and any surveillance video that may have captured the flight.