Helicopter crashes in Livermore; 2 people hospitalized
LIVERMORE (CBS SF) -- A helicopter crashed Wednesday morning at a Pacific Gas and Electric training site in Livermore, injuring two people.
The downed helicopter was reported down just before 10 a.m. at PG&E's Livermore Electric Safety Academy on the 7200 block of National Drive between Greenville Road and S. Vasco Road.
The pilot and a person outside the helicopter were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. The aircraft crashed at the #PGE Electric Safety Academy in Livermore. According to their website: “This facility is for the PG&E coworkers who build out the electric infrastructure…” pic.twitter.com/n03oNTKQnb
— BrianKPIX (@brianyuenKPIX) May 11, 2022
PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said the crash involved a contractor Bell 407 helicopter performing a training exercise in a parking lot adjacent to the academy.
The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department said the pilot had to be extricated from the helicopter and was taken to a trauma center. The pilot's condition was not immediately known.
A second person on the ground was also injured and taken to a hospital for evaluation. Officials said both people will survive their injuries.
The crash did not spark a fire, and a fuel leak from the wreckage was contained to the immediate area, said fire department Battalion Chief Jim Hartman. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the incident with the NTSB leading the investigation.
According to PG&E's website, a wide variety of employees use the Livermore Electric Safety Academy for training - including apprentices, veterans, and electric and gas workers - with hands-on exercises.