3 killed when helicopter crashes into Orlando home identified

Accident starts fire in guest home on Alameda Street

ORLANDO, Fla. – The three people who were killed when a helicopter crashed into an Orlando home have been identified on Monday.

[WATCH: Neighbors react to helicopter crash]

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Police said pilot Bruce Teitelbaum, his wife, Marsha Khan; and friend of the pilot, Harry Anderson, were killed in the crash, which occurred around 2:30 p.m. Sunday on Alameda Street, about 2 miles west of Orlando Executive Airport.

Police said the helicopter, a Robinson R44, crashed into a guest home located behind the main house.  No one was inside the guest house at the time of the crash, but there were people in the main home. 

"We had nine houseguests just last week and four of them were actually staying up there in that garage apartment," said Catherine Kurtz, who said her family and friends left her guest house a day before a helicopter crashed into the home. "It would've been just a horrible, horrible disaster."

No one else was injured in the crash, which caused a power outage in the area.

Kurtz said she ran out to check on her grandmother, who was outside near the pool at the time of the crash, but was unharmed by the impact.

"I was actually really scared because I knew she was out there watering her plants and I thought it did hit the house like our house because it was so loud and so close," Kurtz said.

"Well, I was out here raking, and I heard the helicopter, but it didn't sound right. Then it swung out this way, (and I) didn't think anything of it, (so I) went back to raking, and then I heard the explosion," witness Mike Sills said.

"The impact was a very solid boom, then it went dead silent," neighbor Donn Carr said.

"The power went out, the ground shook, and the house shook.  It was pretty crazy," said witness Nathan Bond.

The Federal Aviation Authority and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Stay with Local 6 News and ClickOrlando.com for updates.


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