Five people, including a child, were hospitalized after a helicopter crashed into a row of trees at California’s bustling Huntington Beach on Saturday afternoon, according to reports.
The chopper was steadily lowering down to the tree line before it suddenly careened back upwards and then went out of control at about 2 p.m.
Two people on the chopper were removed safely, while three pedestrians on the ground were left injured, police told CBS News. All were hospitalized in unknown condition.
The incident began when the helicopter started to spin sideways as its rear rotor appeared to stop working.
It plummeted to the ground but was cushioned by the line of palm trees at the edge of the sand. One tree snapped and fell on top of the prone chopper, according to the video.
The tail snapped off in the crash and the body of the chopper was wedged between the palm trees and a nearby staircase, according to an aerial view from CBS News.
“You can hear this odd sound that didn’t sound right. I looked out and I see the helicopter spiraling out of control. My friend saw shrapnel, or just debris, catapulting across PCH,” Kevin Bullat, who watched the crash happen, told CBS News.
California Highway Patrol said that the crash was near the Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast event site at the Waterfront Beach Resort, KTLA reported.
A Huntington Beach spokesperson told the outlet that the helicopter was “associated with the Cars and Copters event” which is an automotive and helicopter shindig benefitting the Huntington Beach Police & Community Foundation, according to its website.
The owner of the chopper was identified as Eric Nixon — an aviation enthusiast who regularly executes risky routes in whirly birds and posts them to Instagram.
One video posted to the social media profile of Cars ‘N Copters on Sept. 15 promoted the appearance of Nixon’s Bell 222SP, identified by its tail number N222E, which crashed on Saturday, lifting off near a crowd.
“The Bell 222SP which gained a ton of popularity from the 80s show Airwolf. Seeing one in person is rare. Excited to have it back! Thank you @nixon.helictopers,” the post read.
It is not clear whether Nixon was operating the Bell 222SP at the time of Saturday’s accident.
The annual automotive and aircraft showcase was sold out and set to begin on Oct. 12, according to its website
The event hosted an “exclusive helicopter landing party” at the Offshore9 Rooftop Lounge, which is also at the Waterfront Beach Resort, from 12:30 to 3:30 PDT Saturday, according to its website.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified, city officials said. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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