A two-seat helicopter reportedly landed at the location about 2:17 p.m. An initial report said there were no injuries.
Four people were on board, including the piliot. They reportedly suffered minor cuts and abrasions. They were able to walked a trail toward paramedics to be examined. None of those on board was hospitalized. They were treated on scene.
The helicopter, a Robinson Rotorcraft, was traveling from Redlands en route to Santa Monica.
The passengers included a 25-year-old man, a 25-year-old woman and a 33-year-old woman. The passengers and the pilot were not immediately identified.The cause of the incident was under investigation. A mechanical problem occurred, forcing the pilot to make a hard landing. The helicopter hit the ground, bounced, then tipped to its side. Everyone on board was able to walk away from the craft.
There was a fuel leak.
"We have fire department resources here because of the fuel leak," said L.A. Fire Captain Jaime Moore. "Obviously we have high temperatures. If you think about what could have happened here, we have an airship coming out of the sky with a hard landing, we've got quantities of fuel onboard, we've got a lot of dry brush here, high temperatures. This could have been a devastating incident. Fortunately we have four individuals who are being released to go home tonight."
A park ranger responding to the scene was airlifted from the scene due to heat exhaustion.
