Huntington Beach, a vicinity in California, witnessed a tragic helicopter crash on Saturday, leading to five people being hospitalised. The incident occurred near the popular waterfront Beach Resort and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, an area that is surrounded by restaurants, hotels, and public beach access.
Videos that have surfaced online showcase the helicopter flying at a low altitude and suddenly losing control, proceeding to slam into palm trees. The Huntington Beach Fire Department said that two people aboard the helicopter were safely pulled from the wreckage. Along with them, three bystanders on the ground who were injured were transported to the local hospital. The extent of the injuries was not immediately disclosed.
BREAKING 🚨🚨 #HuntingtonBeach / #California
— OC Scanner 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@OC_Scanner) October 11, 2025
New social media video has emerged from the Helicopter crash in HB. Witnesses say there may have been a bird strike with a tail rotor. HB Fire has upgraded this to a multi casualty incident, and multiple people have been… https://t.co/RaWw9pLRNm pic.twitter.com/SoshJ99gm9
The helicopter was associated with the annual ‘Cars ‘N Copters’ fundraising event, which was scheduled for Sunday. Tim Robinson, a local resident, captured the incident on video and told Fox News Digital:
“At first, I thought it was a movie. It seemed like a pretty crazy stunt to do. And it spun around a few times and slammed into that. It was crazy.”
“As it was coming down low, I heard kind of like a ping, and a part came flying off the helicopter. I don’t know what it was. I have no clue. It came off, and that’s when it started spinning out of control.”
Bird Strike or Malfunction
While the cause of the crash is under investigation, some witnesses on social media speculated that a bird strike could have led to the crash. The chances of any kind of malfunction in the helicopter leading to the crash will also be investigated. Residents have claimed that they had seen a part of the rotor detaching mid-flight -authorities have not verified these reports. Going by the video, it seems that the Helicopter was in auto rotation, trying to have a controlled descent, but the back-end rotor malfunctioned, throwing the balance off and leading the helicopter into an uncontrollable state of rotation.
Also Read: China hits back at US over 100% tariff, calls it ‘typical example of double standards’
