Five people, including a child, were hospitalized when a helicopter crashed in the Southern California city of Huntington Beach on Saturday afternoon.
It happened just after 2 p.m. local time near a parking lot off Pacific Coast Highway, between Beach Boulevard and Twin Dolphins Drive, according to Huntington Beach firefighters.
Police closed PCH between Huntington Street and Beach Boulevard at around 3 p.m., as they began to investigate the crash.
With SkyCal over the scene, scattered debris was seen in the beach access parking lot, a large part of which was blocked off by police tape.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified of the crash, city officials said.
On Saturday afternoon, a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach, California, leaving five people hospitalized, including a child.
The incident took place shortly after 2:00 p.m. m. Firefighters in Huntington Beach reported local time near a parking lot off Pacific Coast Highway, between Beach Boulevard and Twin Dolphins Drive.
According to city officials who spoke to CBS News, the two passengers on the helicopter were safely evacuated from the debris. All five individuals were transported to the hospital for medical attention, and three bystanders were also hurt in the collision. They had no known conditions.
Around 3 p.m., police closed PCH between Huntington Street and Beach Boulevard. m. as the crash investigation got underway. When the closure was implemented, they asked people to stay away from the area and take other routes for at least a few hours.
The helicopter is seen spinning multiple times before colliding with palm trees and the outdoor stairway of the pedestrian bridge that crosses PCH to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa in a dramatic social media video.
Dispersed debris was observed in the beach access parking lot, much of which was blocked off by police tape, with SkyCal on the scene. As of 4:30 p.m., the remainder of the helicopter was still wedged between the palm trees and the staircase after the collision, with the tail of the aircraft breaking off. m.
Several other small helicopters were parked in the lot in front of the Hyatt Regency and Waterfront Beach Resort, which is close to the scene of the crash. MD Helicopters was hosting an “exclusive helicopter landing party” at the Offshore 9 Rooftop Lounge on Saturday afternoon. Those in attendance were encouraged to “watch helicopters arrive from a bird’s eye view.”. The landing party was planned in advance of Sunday’s main event, Cars ‘N Copters On the Coast.
Before losing control and crashing, witnesses reported that the helicopter seemed to dip in the direction of the bridge.
Kevin Bullat, who witnessed the event, remarked, “You can hear this odd sound that didn’t sound right.”. “I noticed the helicopter going out of control when I looked out. dots. Across PCH, my friend witnessed shrapnel—or simply debris—being launched. “.
The cause of the helicopter crash is unknown. According to city officials, the crash has been reported to the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
