On Saturday afternoon, five individuals, including a child, were hospitalized following a helicopter accident in a row of trees at the lively Huntington Beach in California, as reported.
The helicopter was in the process of descending toward the tree line when it unexpectedly shot back up before losing control around 2 p.m.
Two passengers aboard the helicopter were rescued unharmed, while three pedestrians on the ground sustained injuries, as stated by police to CBS News. All recipients of care were transported to hospitals in an unspecified condition.
The incident started when the helicopter began to rotate sideways, seemingly due to a malfunction in its rear rotor.
The aircraft fell but was somewhat absorbed by the line of palm trees at the beachfront. One palm was broken and collapsed onto the grounded helicopter, as shown in the video footage.
The helicopter’s tail broke off during the crash, and the main body got stuck between palm trees and a nearby staircase, indicated by CBS News’s aerial images.
“There was a peculiar sound that didn’t seem right. I glanced outside, and I saw the helicopter spinning out of control. My friend noticed debris or shrapnel flying across the Pacific Coast Highway,” reported Kevin Bullat, a witness to the event, to CBS News.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed that the helicopter crashed near the Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast event site, as KTLA detailed.
A spokesperson for Huntington Beach stated that the helicopter was “linked to the Cars and Copters event,” a gathering for automotive and helicopters, benefiting the Huntington Beach Police & Community Foundation, as stated on its official site.
The aircraft owner was recognized as Eric Nixon, an aviation enthusiast known for navigating challenging routes in helicopters and sharing his adventures on Instagram.
A video shared on the Cars ‘N Copters social media on September 15 highlighted Nixon’s Bell 222SP, recognized by its tail number N222E, which took off in the vicinity of a crowd before crashing on Saturday.
“The Bell 222SP, famous from the 80s series Airwolf, is a rare sight in person. Thrilled to have it back! Thanks to @nixon.helicopters,” the post stated.
It remains uncertain if Nixon was at the controls of the Bell 222SP during the accident.
The popular automotive and aircraft event was sold out and was scheduled to kick off on October 12, based on its website.
The event included an “exclusive helicopter landing party” at the Offshore9 Rooftop Lounge, which is also part of the Waterfront Beach Resort, set from 12:30 to 3:30 PDT Saturday, according to its official website.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been informed, with city officials confirming that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
