5 deputies, 1 doctor onboard LASD helicopter in stable condition after crash in San Gabriel Canyon
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopter crashed in San Gabriel Canyon Saturday afternoon.
Early reports indicated that the crash occurred around 4:50 p.m. near Highway 39's Mile Marker 21.7 in the San Gabriel Dam area, though it was unclear what caused the incident.
Video from Sky9 chopper overhead showed the LASD helicopter on its side, nearly teetering over a steep drop-off over several hundred feet.
Los Angeles Fire Department crews on scene disclosed that the aircraft belonged to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau. It was en route to an air evacuation for the victims of a car crash near the area.
Authorities noted how lucky the survivors of the crash were as the helicopter crashed near the roadway, easing access from responding paramedics and fire crews -- also headed to the rollover car crash down the road.
All six of the crew members were said to have been extricated, and Los Angeles County Fire reported that one of the members was said to be in critical condition, two suffered moderate injuries and two suffered minor injuries. One of the occupants was said to be a UCLA doctor who was on a ride-along. All six of the people onboard the helicopter when it crashed were transported to Pomona Valley Hospital.
At a press conference from the hospital, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva detailed that all of the deputies are expected to recover and all are in stable condition, noting some "fractures and broken ribs, things of that nature."
"The helicopter suffered a malfunction of some sort -- we don't know if it was by mechanical, environmental, what they call a 'brown out,' wind change -- but as they were trying to descend on a little turnout around mile marker 22, they suffered a hard landing and a rollover," he said.
The pilot of the LASD aircraft reportedly told investigators that while he was landing, some sort of problem occurred, leading it to crash hard into the ground where it was attempting to land.
"The aircraft landed just a few feet from a 200-foot drop down to Morris Dam below," Villanueva continued. "The fact it did not rollover and go all the way down or that there was no fire is nothing short of a miracle."
The victims of the car crash that the helicopter was headed to rescue were also transported via a ground unit with minor injuries.
The helicopter in question, which deputies refer to as AIR Rescue 5, is a Eurocopter AS 332L1 Super Puma helicopter -- acquired by the department in 2012. It is reportedly one of three in LASD's rescue fleet, meaning the department will adjust staffing levels -- down one rescue helicopter and one rescue crew for the time being.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
Highway 39 was closed for several hours as a result of the investigation and cleanup underway in the area.
