A Navy MH-53 Sea Dragon anti-mine helicopter crashed into the KEDT-TV Corpus Christi antenna and guy wires Wednesday, killing three sailors. The bulk of the charred wreckage was wedged beneath guy wires for the 1,000-foot-tall tower that serves the South Texas Public Broadcasting System.
"We went off the air about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday," said Don Dunlap, president and KEDT GM told The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. "We thought it was weather-related and sent a technician who learned parts of the antenna were on the ground."
The beacon light was knocked off and components in the top 75 feet of the antenna were damaged, Dunlap said. "It looks like it was hit at about 950 feet," Dunlap said.
The station was operating again by about 10:30 a.m. Thursday on low power. Jackson there was no damage to the tower structure itself.
