On the same day that a $50 million lawsuit was filed against SBA Communications stating that their Houston tower’s obstruction lighting was not operating, the National Transportation Safety Board alleged that it was, according to their preliminary investigation report. Photo: NTSB
Houston helicopter air tour company National Helicopter Solutions promoted on their website, “We promise to deliver safe, professional, and exciting helicopter travel in the skies over the city of Houston and Greater Texas.”
Sadly, one such tour on October 20, 2024, piloted by Samantha Grandbouche, broke that promise when the 42-year-old pilot crashed the helicopter into an SBA Communications 1,000-foot guyed tower, killing Grandbouche, and Cesar Lerma, Marie Alonso, and their 9-year-old son, Dylon Lerma.
An initial investigation by the NTSB has identified that part of the helicopter was lodged into the tower at the 900-foot level, indicating that the pilot was flying at a height where the obstruction lighting should have been visible since surveillance video shows the tower being lamped when the helicopter struck it. Photo: NTSB
The tragic helicopter crash that collapsed the tower has led the victims’ families to file a lawsuit seeking over $50 million in damages.
The petitiion, filed in Harris County by Sorrels Law of Houston, claims the accident was due to negligence by multiple defendants, including National Helicopter Solutions, Porter Equipment Holding LLC, and SBA Communications Corporation.
“The families of Cesar, Marie, and Dylon are devasted and seek both answers and accountability,” said firm partner Randy Sorrels. “We hope this lawsuit will answer many unanswered questions, bring about air-safety changes, and prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again,” Sorrels informed Wireless Estimator in an email.
The plaintiffs allege that multiple failures by the defendants led to the crash. The lawsuit claims that National Helicopter Solutions and Porter Equipment needed to plan or review the flight route adequately and should have checked for flight restrictions or notices to air missions about obstructions in the flight path.
The plaintiffs also argue that the helicopter, a Robinson R44 ll, descended to an unsafe altitude, below the height of surrounding towers, while traveling at high speed in low-visibility conditions.
Moreover, the suit highlights a significant oversight by SBA. It alleges that the company failed to illuminate its tower appropriately despite an earlier notice indicating that its obstruction lights were out of service. The plaintiffs argue that had SBA Communications adequately marked the tower, the crash could have been avoided.
However, before the lawsuit, SBA had identified that the tower’s obstruction lighting complied with FAA lighting requirements, and the NOTAM was a precautionary measure since they had recently acquired the tower from Univision and needed it to be integrated into its network operations center.
A preliminary investigation report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released the same day of the lawsuit filing offered credibility to SBA’s statement, showing a surveillance video screenshot of the helicopter approaching the SBA tower. The tower’s top and middle flashing beacons are visible in the picture. The bottom beacons were not visible due to buildings and other lighting obstructions, but their role, whether lamped or not, would not have contributed to the pilot not seeing the tower.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s obstruction lighting standard is available here.
According to recorded air traffic control communications, the helicopter departed Ellington Airport in Houston at about 7:42 PM and flew north, then northwest about 900 feet above sea level. The pilot established communications with the local air traffic controller and requested the “downtown loop.”
Several minutes later, the controller issued a traffic advisory for a company tour helicopter, N233JD. Grandbouche acknowledged traffic in sight on her ADS-B, which is more precise than radar. The controller requested that she maintain visual separation from the traffic.
Grandbouche was reading the instructions when the radio transmission abruptly ended. No further communications were received.
The NTSB report said that on October 7, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a letter of authorization to the operator to conduct commercial air tour operations under 14 CFR Part 91.147.
However, according to National Helicopter Solutions’ website, they have been conducting tours since 2013. A spokesperson for Sorrels Law said they are still investigating the incident and, at present, cannot answer questions about NTSB’s preliminary investigation.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for the families’ mental anguish, funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and economic damages from the untimely deaths. In addition to the wrongful death claims, the plaintiffs have requested a temporary restraining order to preserve the helicopter wreckage and tower components as evidence for further investigation.
SBA has 20 days from the petition service date to file an answer to the lawsuit or request that they be dismissed from the petition for stated reasons.