Five people, including a child, were hospitalized when a helicopter crashed Saturday afternoon in Huntington Beach, Southern California.
It happened shortly after 2 p.m. local time near a parking lot off Pacific Coast Highway between Beach Boulevard and Twin Dolphins Drive, according to the Huntington Beach Fire Department.
City officials told CBS News that the two people aboard the helicopter were safely removed from the wreckage. Three pedestrians on the street were also injured in the incident, and all five people were taken to hospital for treatment. None of their conditions were known.
KCAL News
Police closed PCH between Huntington Street and Beach Boulevard around 3 p.m. as they began investigating the crash. They asked people to avoid the area and use alternate routes for at least several hours after the closure was put in place.
Dramatic video posted to social media shows the helicopter spinning several times before crashing into palm trees and the exterior staircase of the pedestrian bridge that crosses PCH to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa.
Other video footage shows an object falling from the helicopter moments before it fell from the sky.
With SkyCal above the scene, scattered debris was seen in the beach access parking lot, much of which was blocked off with police tape. The plane’s tail broke off in the crash, with the rest of the helicopter still stuck between the staircase and palm trees at 4:30 p.m.
There were several other small helicopters parked in the parking lot near the crash site, directly across from the Hyatt Regency and Waterfront Beach Resort. An “exclusive helicopter landing party” was hosted by MD Helicopters at the Offshore 9 rooftop lounge on Saturday afternoon, where attendees were invited to “watch the helicopters arrive from a bird’s eye view”. The landing party was scheduled before the Cars ‘N Copters On the Coast main event on Sunday.
Event organizers said the event would not be canceled.
“We send our prayers to everyone involved in this unfortunate incident today,” a statement said. “Our plan right now is to move forward with our event tomorrow, Sunday, October 12. We will let everyone know as soon as possible if this plan changes.”
Witnesses said the helicopter appeared to be diving towards the bridge before losing control and crashing.
“You can hear this weird sound that didn’t sound right,” said Kevin Bullat, who saw the scene unfold. “I looked out and saw the helicopter spinning out of control. … My friend saw shrapnel, or just debris, being catapulted across PCH.”
It is unclear what exactly caused the helicopter to crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified of the accident, city officials said. They estimate that an investigation report will be ready within 30 days.
The helicopter was a Bell 222, powered by two turboshaft engines, and was manufactured in 1980. Although authorities have not yet identified any of the victims, CBS News Los Angeles has learned that the helicopter was registered to a man named Eric Nixon.
An Instagram account named Nixon Helicopters posted that the pilot and passenger were safe and hospitalized after the crash. Other friends of Nixon also posted on social media, saying he had broken ribs and fractured his spine.
The wreckage was cleared from the parking lot Monday afternoon. The area was reopened to the public shortly after, but city officials said the pedestrian bridge would be closed for some time due to necessary repairs.
