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Among the injured was a young child who was reportedly pinned under the wreckage before being rescued. A GoFundMe campaign organizer later confirmed to local media that the child is her brother.
“It Was Spinning Weird”
Witnesses said they could tell something was wrong seconds before the impact. Jackson Etchert from Rancho Cucamonga recalled the moment he looked up and saw the chopper spiraling out of control.
“I noticed when the second one came, it was spinning weird,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Hmm, I wonder if it’s doing a trick.’ Then, I saw it spinning even faster, and I’m like, ‘Nope, that thing is crashing.’”
Etchert added, “First the tail rotor snapped. Next thing I know I see something looked like it hit the main rotor blade.”
The Pilot’s Condition
According to The Orange County Register, Jerry Miller of Redlands confirmed that his son-in-law, Eric Nixon, was piloting the helicopter when it went down.
“He’s in the hospital with some broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and several bruises,” Miller said. “But I’m sorry, we have some things going on,” he added before ending the call.
Authorities say the helicopter — a Bell 222 twin-engine — was associated with the Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast event scheduled for Sunday. The show is known for featuring exotic cars and aircraft along the Southern California shoreline.
Questions Swirl Over Cause
It remains unclear what caused the aircraft to lose control, but several witnesses said the tail rotor appeared to detach moments before impact. The collision damaged nearby palm trees and part of a pedestrian bridge spanning Pacific Coast Highway.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation.
“The FAA and NTSB have been notified, and the investigation remains ongoing,” city officials confirmed.
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Close Call on the Coast
The crash has reignited concerns about low-altitude flights over populated beach areas, especially during events that draw large crowds. Many locals expressed shock that the helicopter missed the packed beach by mere feet.
“It’s a miracle more people weren’t killed,” one witness told local reporters. “If it had come down a few seconds earlier, it would’ve hit right where people were walking.”
As the community prays for the victims’ recovery, investigators are now working to piece together how a sunny day at Huntington Beach nearly turned into a mass tragedy.
