Helicopter loses control and crashes near crowded California beach, injuring 5

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA: A helicopter lost control and crashed along the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, California, on Saturday, October 11, injuring five people, including a child.

The accident took place shortly around 2 pm on the 'Cars ‘N Copters' Coast event site in front of the Waterfront Beach Resort.

The helicopter, reportedly a rare Bell 222, was lodged inside the trees in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Beachgoers ran for their lives as the helicopter spiraled out of control and slammed into the ground.

Chaos at Huntington Beach as helicopter crash leaves five hospitalized

According to the California Highway Patrol, the helicopter went down near the 'Cars N Copters' fundraising event. It was scheduled to take part in the event. 

Witnesses said the aircraft had been hovering close to a block of apartments when it suddenly began spiraling out of control, slamming into the palm trees outside the building.

The impact caused the tail section of the helicopter to snap off, leaving the rest of the aircraft wedged between a building’s staircase and surrounding palm trees.

Emergency crews quickly arrived at the scene and rescued two people from the wreckage, while three pedestrians nearby were also injured.

All five victims were reportedly transported to local hospitals, though their current conditions have not yet been released.

Authorities have since sealed off the area as investigations continue into the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified.

The tragedy comes only days after a helicopter accident in Sacramento, where a medical aircraft crash-landed on Highway 50, killing flight nurse Suzie Smith and critically injuring pilot Chad Millward and paramedic Margaret Davis.

Internet reacts to Huntington Beach helicopter crash

Internet users flocked to share their thoughts as shocking footage of the helicopter twisting uncontrollably in the air before crashing emerged online. 

One user said, "Once the tail rotor stops turning, there's nothing to counter the clockwise torque vector and the helo fuselage spins out of control along with the main rotor."

"Most disturbing, devastating, I hope the crew is okay. I was planning on going tomorrow. I'll be waiting for NTSB," said another user. 

One more user commented, "Oh no that sounds awful Hope everyone is okay."

Another user said, "Sometimes helicopter flying seems risky, as even a small technical issue can become dangerous in the air."

Another user explained how the Helicopter crashed, saying, "Holy S**T A Bell 222 helicopter crash in Los Angeles, word is the pilot is alive but badly injured. If you look close you can see the tail rotor stopped spinning and then literally came off. Debris hit a kid on the ground and he's being airlifted to medical."

Another user also commented on the helicopter's tail rotor issue, writing, "Definitely a tail rotor issue. Aside from the attitude of the aircraft, the video shows the tail rotor at a constant speed, then immediately a different speed which leads to the spin. The video will be paramount to FAA investigators and will make their job a lot easier."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.