Five people — including a child — were rushed to the hospital after a helicopter collided with a line of trees and crashed in California's busy Huntington Beach area on Saturday afternoon, according to reports. Witnesses said the helicopter appeared to be steadily lowering down to the trees when it suddenly shot back up and spun out of control around 2 p.m.
Two people aboard the helicopter were safely rescued, while three people on the ground were injured, police told CBS News. All five were taken to the hospital, though their conditions have not yet been confirmed. The trouble started when the helicopter began spinning sideways, apparently after its rear rotor malfunctioned.
Bolt from the Blue
The helicopter plunged toward the ground but was partially cushioned by a row of palm trees along the edge of the beach. One of the trees broke and fell onto the downed aircraft, video footage showed.
The impact tore off the tail, leaving the main body of the helicopter jammed between the palm trees and a nearby staircase, according to aerial footage 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.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened near the Cars 'N Copters on the Coast event site at the Waterfront Beach Resort, according to KTLA.
A Huntington Beach spokesperson told the outlet that the helicopter was connected to the event — an annual gathering of cars and helicopters that raises money for the Huntington Beach Police & Community Foundation, as noted on its website.
The helicopter's owner was identified as Eric Nixon, an aviation enthusiast known for flying daring routes and sharing his helicopter adventures on Instagram.
Cause of Crash Unclear
A video shared on the Cars 'N Copters social media page on September 15 promoted the appearance of Nixon's Bell 222SP helicopter — identified by its tail number N222E — which was seen taking off near a crowd. That same helicopter is the one that crashed on Saturday.
"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's still unclear whether Nixon was piloting the Bell 222SP at the time of Saturday's crash.
According to the event's website, the annual Cars and Copters show — a popular gathering of car and aircraft enthusiasts — was sold out and scheduled to begin on October 12.
The event also featured an "exclusive helicopter landing party" at the Offshore9 Rooftop Lounge, located at the Waterfront Beach Resort, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
City officials said both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified, and an investigation into the crash is currently underway.
