Investigation continues into helicopter crash that left 5 injured in Huntington Beach
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- The cause of a helicopter crash in Huntington Beach that injured five people remained unclear on Sunday. More than 24 hours later, the wreckage remained at the scene.
The aircraft came down on the pedestrian bridge in the beach parking lot between Twin Dolphins Drive and Beach Boulevard near the Hyatt Regency Hotel around 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the City of Huntington Beach.
Shocking video obtained by Eyewitness News shows the moment the helicopter came crashing down.
New video shows the chaos that followed the crash as bystanders, holding beach chairs and gear, rushed to help the victims.
The injured individuals consist of two people who were pulled from inside the helicopter and three bystanders who were on the ground. All of them were hospitalized, but details about their conditions were limited.
According to a report from the Orange County Register, a family member of the pilot said his son-in-law suffered broken ribs, a crushed vertebrae and several bruises.
Officials have not identified any of the victims.
The wreckage, which was wedged inside trees against the front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, hadn't been removed from the scene as of Sunday evening.
The crash happened as the beach was crowded with people in town for an event called Cars N' Copters. The helicopter involved in the crash was scheduled to take part in the event, which went on as scheduled on Sunday.
Witnesses who spoke to Eyewitness News on Sunday shared what it was like to see the crash at the event on Saturday. They said they're still in disbelief.
"And all of a sudden, you just see fire trucks and state police cars and every ambulance and everything you could imagine," said witness Mary Gangitano.
"I thought it was like a movie stunt gone bad, and then I realized that this was not a movie, this was real life, because we were actually witnessing all of the other helicopters land safely," witness Rick Sandoval said. "When we just saw that helicopter lose control, everyone just turned around and ran in the opposite direction."
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash involving the Bell 222 helicopter. In a statement, the NTSB said a preliminary report is due within 30 days.
Eyewitness News also reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which sent an automatic reply saying that during the government shutdown, they would not be able to reply to all inquiries.
