Work finishes on damaged radio tower
AURORA -- It took about 10-1/2 hours Saturday, but crews finished removing damaged sections of WBIG's radio tower and declared the remainder stable, according to police.
In total, workers removed about 419 feet from the tower -- more than half of its original 734-foot height.
The tower was damaged in Wednesday night's medical helicopter crash, which claimed the lives of three Air Angels crewmen and a 1-year-old Leland girl. Federal investigators have said the chopper clipped one of the guy wires supporting the tower before crashing in a field east of Eola Road and erupting into flames.
Four sections of the tower were removed Friday, in windy and rainy conditions. The weather was more favorable Saturday morning, as the sun shone on a crew of workers who shimmied up the tower around 9:35 a.m.
The helicopter did not arrive until just after noon, and when it did, crew members used blowtorches to separate several more pieces of the tower. The copter then took each one, separating them from the main tower and gingerly lowering them to the ground. The final piece was lifted off shortly after 6 p.m.
The tower rises high above the Amli subdivision, at Eola Road and Liberty Street. As they were on Friday, residents in buildings close to the tower were asked to temporarily evacuate on Saturday. Evacuation was not mandatory, but police strongly encouraged roughly 1,000 residents of six apartment buildings in the subdivision to leave the area for the day.
The streets were quiet Saturday morning, although several people decided to remain, some taking their dogs for walks while crews worked overhead. Some piled into cars and left.
And some, like Gesner Jackson, didn't get the message -- Jackson arrived home at 3:30 Saturday morning, he said, and hadn't heard about the evacuation.
But as he warily eyed the tower above his apartment building, Jackson made his decision.
"I'm gonna get out of here," he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the crash. On Friday, they announced they had not yet found any mechanical issues with the Air Angels chopper, although they emphasized that the investigation is ongoing.
Part of that investigation will concern whether the strobe lights atop the WBIG tower were flashing Wednesday night before the crash. Jackson, who moved to the Amli subdivision in March, said he has seen the tower remain dark some nights.
Though he slept through the entire crash, Jackson admitted the news has shaken him. He has had trouble sleeping and worries that he's not safe in the shadow of the tower.
"I like this place, but I don't think I'm renewing my lease," he said. "I don't think so, man."
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF AIR ANGELS CRASH
Photos: Kirstin laid to rest
Photos: Workers fix radio tower
Photos: Copter crash probe begins
Photos: Family's mourning begins
Photos: The victims
Photos: Crash scene
Twitter: Latest developments
Map: Crash site
Tears, rain fall as tiny crash victim buried
Flight nurse a hero: 'Gave his life for little baby'
Hero's selfless final act offers some solace'
Monday stories
NTSB gets surveillance video Leland girl killed in crash laid to rest
Sunday stories
Close-knit town asks to mourn in private
Work finishes on damaged radio tower
Saturday stories
Tower work complete, residents may return
In wind, rain, workers chop up radio tower
Radio tower well-known to local pilots
Friday stories
Radio tower dismantled after helicopter crash
Family of tiniest victim mourns flight crew
Helicopter crash probe could take months
Residents evacuating apartments near tower
Witnesses describe the fiery crash
Air Angels: 'We look at what's best for the patient'
FAA under pressure to improve safety for EMS flights
Crash turns focus on air transport safety
Helicopter crew remembered as heroes
Shock settles on emergency response crews
Thursday stories
Aurora helicopter crash kills Air Angels crew, child
Friends speak of Air Angels crew's dedication
Witness: Debris rained down from the sky
NTSB investigating cause of crash
Police ask residents near crash to evacuate
Last Air Angels crash in Fox Valley 5 years ago
