Helicopter crash sparks small fire in field near Oxnard; pilot hospitalized with leg injury

OXNARD, Calif. (KABC) -- A helicopter pilot suffered injuries that were not life-threatening Saturday morning after the aircraft crashed in a field in Ventura County and ignited a small fire, officials said.

According to the Oxnard Fire Department, the incident was reported at 9:43 a.m. near the intersection of West Gonzalez Road and Victoria Avenue, just outside the city limits.

The pilot "self-extricated" from the helicopter before firefighters arrived at the scene and extinguished the grass-fueled blaze, the tweet said. The single patient was transported to a hospital.

A spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department said the pilot suffered a leg injury and possibly and an ankle injury.

The grass fire burned about half of an acre.