Monday, November 4, 2024

Houston Radio: Radio Tower Owners, Others Sued Over Fatal Crash


The families of three people killed in the fiery Oct. 20 helicopter crash that took down a 1,000 foot radio tower in Houston's Second Ward are suing the owners of the helicopter, the touring company that operated it and the owners of the structure, reports The Houston Chronicle.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the families of Cesar Lerma, Marie Alonso and their 9-year-old son Dylon Lerma, who died in the crash along with helicopter pilot Samantha Grandbouche. The suit accuses three businesses — National Helicopter Solutions, Porter Equipment and SBA Communications — of acts of negligence that contributed to the crash.

Grandbouche is also named as a defendant.


The families are seeking more than $50 million in damages, according to the lawsuit.  The tower stood at 999 feet above ground, according to FCC records.

The FCC identified the radio stations that operated from the tower as:

  • KLTN(FM), Houston, TX, 102.9 MHz
  • KAMA-FM, Deer Park, TX, 104.9 MHz
  • KOVE-FM, Galveston, TX, 106.5 MHz
  • KCOH(AM), Houston, TX, 1230 kHz

According to a company spokesperson, SBA Communications recently acquired the tower. It was previously owned in part by Univision and sold in a transaction with several other towers in September.

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