LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — Five people were hospitalized after a helicopter crashed along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, California, on Saturday afternoon.
The crash was reported around 2:09 p.m. near the Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast event site, in front of the Waterfront Beach Resort, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Footage obtained by Nexstar’s KTLA, seen in the video player below, shows the helicopter descending toward the street as spectators look on, when it suddenly drops and crashes near the roadway.
Another video shared with KTLA showed onlookers watching the helicopter seemingly fly with ease overhead before it began to rotate wildly, sending those on the ground running.
You can see that clip below:
Witnesses said they saw the rotor fly off the tail moments before the helicopter crashed onto several palm trees and a bridge walkway in front of the hotel.
According to a Huntington Beach police spokesperson, two people were on board the helicopter and both made it out, while three people in the street were injured. All five were transported to the hospital for treatment.
Kurt Johnston was standing just feet from the crash.
“It was literally right over my head,” he told KTLA’s Sara Welch. “It’s like something in a nightmare. There was an old man, about 85, who had a cut in the back of his head. He was trying to get a rag so he could stop the bleeding.”
“[Emergency crews] took the pilot out and they gave a thumbs up, so I think he’s in okay shape,” said witness Darrell Hallett.
“The police were telling us to move because they thought it was going to explode,” said Greyson Hallett.
Video from the scene also showed a child being pulled from the wreckage. No further details, including the victims’ conditions or the cause of the crash, were released.
The aircraft is a rare Bell 222, made famous by the 1980s TV show, “Airwolf.”
“The helicopter is associated with the Cars and Copters event scheduled for tomorrow,” city officials said in a statement. “The FAA and NTSB have been notified, and the investigation remains ongoing.”
Events for Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast will continue as scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Luis Zuniga, Sofia Pop Perez and Tracy Mejia contributed to this report.
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