As the investigation continues into Saturday’s helicopter crash that injured five people in Huntington Beach, a retired helicopter pilot believes the problem likely originated with the aircraft’s tail rotor.
The crash occurred in front of the Waterfront Beach Resort during an annual fundraiser called “Cars ‘N Copters.”
Cellphone footage from multiple angles shows the aircraft descending toward a parking lot before spiraling out of control and crashing into a grove of palm trees and a stairway.
Two people aboard the helicopter and three on the ground were injured, including a child who was trapped under the wreckage, authorities said. The extent of their injuries has not been released.
Former KTLA 5 News helicopter pilot Tim Lynn, who retired in 2020, reviewed the crash footage Monday and immediately pointed out issues with the helicopter’s tail rotor as it slowly approached the lot.
“You’re going to notice the nose kind of turn to the right, and that’s the first indication there is a problem,” Lynn told KTLA’s Chip Yost. “The pedals that the pilot has his feet on are what control that tail rotor, and at that point, probably the pedals stopped working. There was no reaction to what he was doing.”
As the aircraft spun out of control, parts of the helicopter appeared to break off, including the rotor and its gearbox, Lynn said. He credited the pilot for maintaining as much control as possible under the circumstances.
“The helicopter pilot did a great job keeping this helicopter upright as it came down, because it could have gone over on its back,” he said. “It could have rolled to the side or dove straight in.”
As of Monday afternoon, the wreckage remained at the scene as investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board worked to determine the cause of the crash.
Lynn’s career before joining KTLA included service in the U.S. Coast Guard, followed by roles with the Gardena Police Department, Culver City police and the Huntington Beach Police Department’s Air Unit.
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