Investigators say the Robinson R44 was on an instructional flight when it went down beside active businesses on South Congress Avenue.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A training helicopter crashed through the roof of a vacant warehouse near South Congress Avenue about 12:30 p.m. on March 23, killing the instructor and student on board and opening a federal investigation into what happened in the aircraft’s final minutes.
The crash drew unusual attention because it happened in the middle of a busy South Florida industrial strip, with repair shops open and traffic moving nearby, yet no one on the ground was hurt. Authorities later identified the dead as Alejandro Carrasco, 28, of West Palm Beach, the instructor, and Bryan Menna, 52, of Michigan, the student. Federal officials said the Robinson R44 was operating as an instructional flight, and the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the inquiry. More than a week later, no public cause had been announced.
First responders were sent to the 3800 block of South Congress Avenue after people nearby heard a loud boom and saw damage along the roofline of a large warehouse. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue crews soon discovered that the helicopter had punched through the top of the building and come to rest inside. Battalion Chief Matt Oxendine said the early minutes were confusing because there was no fire, no smoke and little fuel visible from outside, so crews had to search before they found the wreckage. He said the aircraft broke through a lightweight truss roof, which gave way on impact. Police said the warehouse was vacant, a detail that likely spared workers inside the building. Authorities confirmed soon after arrival that there were no survivors aboard the helicopter.
By the next day, investigators had released several key details. The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Robinson R44 and that two people were aboard when it crashed into the building. Local reports, citing federal records, identified the helicopter as registration N478AT and said it was flying as an instructional mission. Boynton Beach police then named Carrasco and Menna as the victims, describing Carrasco as the instructor and Menna as the student. Air traffic recordings reviewed by local stations added another important piece to the timeline. In those transmissions, a person on the helicopter said they were going to land in a field because something was wrong. Another voice on the frequency later repeated that there was a problem with the engine. Even with that radio call, investigators have not publicly said whether the aircraft lost power, whether the crew still had meaningful control, or whether any engine or rotor failure has been confirmed by wreckage evidence.
The setting sharpened the sense of how close the crash came to becoming a wider disaster. The warehouse sat beside operating businesses, including Master Auto Body and other shops where workers were inside when the helicopter came down. Witnesses described a sudden, steep descent rather than a slow emergency landing. Rhett Savidge, who was near a stop sign on his way to lunch, told local reporters he saw the maroon helicopter dropping nose first before it struck the roof. Riley Pilot, who was working nearby, said he first thought someone had dropped a door inside the shop because the sound was so sharp and heavy. Angela Povio, who owns the body shop next door, said the impact sounded like a car had fallen off a lift. Inside the warehouse, damaged pipes or sprinkler lines sent water pouring down near the wreckage, adding to the confusion for people who ran toward the building but could not immediately see what had happened.
The investigation has now moved into the slower and more technical stage that follows a fatal aviation crash. The NTSB is handling the case, with the FAA assisting. That process typically includes documenting the wreckage, examining the engine and flight controls, reviewing maintenance history, tracing the aircraft’s route and training purpose, and comparing physical evidence with witness statements and radio traffic. Police also sought cellphone, security camera and dashcam video recorded near 3850 S. Congress Ave. between 12:20 and 12:25 p.m., showing that local authorities are still trying to tighten the ground timeline while federal investigators study the aircraft itself. Public reports reviewed by Tuesday, March 31, did not include a preliminary cause, a formal account of the helicopter’s last maneuvers or any announced date for a first written summary. For now, the open questions include whether the crew was attempting an emergency landing and what part of the aircraft, if any, first failed.
For the workers next door, the crash unfolded as a chain of ordinary sounds turning into something much worse. Pilot said he and others were inside the shop when they heard a blast and asked each other what had happened. Spencer Winslow, another worker nearby, said he initially brushed it off as normal body shop noise until word spread that a helicopter had gone down. Savidge later said that when he got inside the building he did not immediately see the aircraft itself, only rushing water and the damage left behind. Povio said the loss hit hard because it happened so close to businesses where people were working a normal day. The warehouse was empty, but the scene still left neighbors shaken by how narrowly other lives were spared. That contrast has become part of the story around the crash: two people aboard were killed, the aircraft tore through a roof in broad daylight, and yet the damage stopped just short of reaching the workers and customers only yards away.
As of March 31, authorities had identified the victims, confirmed that the flight was instructional and said no one on the ground was injured, but they still had not publicly explained why the helicopter dropped into the warehouse. The next visible step is likely to be an NTSB update or preliminary report.
Author note: Last updated March 31, 2026.