Huntington Beach helicopter crash: Dramatic footage shows man dodging spinning rotor blades

A helicopter crash left five people injured, including two on board and three pedestrians, near Huntington Beach, southeast of Los Angeles. A viral video showing one man narrowly avoiding the spinning helicopter blades has emerged as the most startling footage of the incident. Two people onboard and three pedestrians sustained injuries and were immediately transported to nearby hospitals. The severity of their injuries has not been disclosed.

In the widely circulated video, the helicopter can be seen flying unusually low, with its rotor blades brushing the tops of palm trees. Suddenly, the aircraft goes into a spin. The person filming ducks just in time as the helicopter crashes nearby. “I was literally underneath the helicopter as it crashed. My life flashed before my eyes,” the TikTok user allegedly wrote.

The footage has sparked widespread attention on social media, highlighting the peril faced by people on the ground during the incident.

Details of the crash

The helicopter, registered to Eric Nixon of Mentone, California, was a 1980 Bell 222 rotorcraft with tail number N222EX. It has two engines, ten seats, and is equipped with a Rolls-Royce 250-C30G turbo-shaft engine, capable of speeds up to 172 mph.

According to local authorities, the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Preliminary reports suggest the helicopter’s rear rotor may have failed, causing it to spin out of control before hitting several palm trees.

Authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), are probing the incident to determine the exact cause.