Chopper Twirls Uncontrollably into Palm Groves at Popular California Beach
A helicopter soaring near a crowded southern California shoreline abruptly started spinning wildly, ultimately descending rapidly and smashing into a line of palm fronds as beachgoers observed.
Recordings uploaded on social media capture the aircraft starting to spin near Huntington Beach then plunging near the border of the coast, where it ends up lodged between palms and a staircase close to the coastal road.
Emergency Response Information
The Huntington Beach fire department reported five people were rushed to the hospital including two who were in the aircraft and were “rescued from the debris” after the accident on Saturday.
Three persons on the pavement were hurt. Details on their wounds were not yet released.
The cause of the crash was not yet disclosed.
Related Gathering
Authorities said the chopper was associated with an regular “Cars and Copters” charity gathering planned for the following day.
