Witness: Debris rained down from the sky

Phil Maris was watching TV in his AMLI apartment on Eola Road when he heard a “really loud noise” late Wednesday night.

Outside the apartment, Maris’ girlfriend was in her car.

Maris said his girlfriend saw a flash of light that illuminated the area around her car. Then debris, including what looked like a piece of the helicopter’s tail, rained down on her vehicle.

Maris called 911 and ran out to the field where the helicopter crashed. By the time he arrived police were already on the scene and prevented him from getting too close.

When the sun rose Thursday, Maris walked around his apartment and found pieces of debris “all over the place.”

“I’m just in shock,” Maris said. “It’s just a tragedy.”

Passerby Mike Maddox of Aurora was driving on Eola Road when he saw the light on top of the old radio station antenna was missing.

Maddox said he saw a big orange arc in the sky, an explosion, then the helicopter landed in Night Heron Marsh Forest Preserve and exploded again.

Maddox called 911 at 11:59 p.m.

Around that same time, motorist Kail Malley was driving south on Eola Road, on his way home from work, when he saw the helicopter fly overhead and land in the field about 300 yards from the road.

Five seconds later, the helicopter exploded into orange flame, Malley said. Malley, of Aurora, jumped out of his car and dashed into the field.

"It seemed like what you should do," he said.

Malley got about 10 feet into the shoulder-high reeds before emergency personnel pulled him out.

"The thing is - there was no noise, no sound," Malley said. "All I keep thinking is: what was in their minds?"

Zack Robinson, who lives on Amli Court, said he was watching TV at home when he heard thudding noises outside. When he heard car alarms going off around him, he knew something was wrong. He went outside to investigate, and found debris had shattered windshields and punctured tires of cars parked around his home, he said.