Five people were taken to the hospital after a helicopter crash along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach Saturday afternoon.
The crash was reported at approximately 2:09 p.m. near the Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast event site, in front of the Waterfront Beach Resort, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Footage obtained by KTLA shows the helicopter descending toward the street as onlookers look on, when it suddenly falls and crashes near the road.
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Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (OnScene.TV) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed into a building in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (sicshortie) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed into a building in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (sicshortie) -
First responders provide medical assistance to a victim after a helicopter crashed near a hotel in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (Rory Rausch) -
A child is pulled from the wreckage after a helicopter crash near a hotel in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (Rory Rausch) -
A bystander video showed a Bell 222 helicopter flying overhead moments before it crashed in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (@militaryaviation) -
A bystander video showed a Bell 222 helicopter flying overhead moments before it crashed in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (@militaryaviation) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (OnScene.TV) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (OnScene.TV) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (OnScene.TV) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed into a building in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (The Citizen) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed into a building in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (The Citizen) -
Several people were injured after a helicopter crashed into a building in Huntington Beach on October 11, 2025. (sicshortie)
According to a Huntington Beach police spokesperson, two people were on board and exiting the helicopter and three people were injured in the street. All five were taken to hospital for treatment.
Witnesses said they saw the helicopter fly by its tail moments before the helicopter collided with several palm trees and a bridge path in front of the hotel.
Curt Johnston was standing a few feet away from the crash. “It was literally over my head,” he told KTLA’s Sarah Welsh. “It’s like something out of a nightmare. There was an old man, about 85 years old, and he had a cut on the back of his head. He was trying to get a piece of cloth so he could stop the bleeding.”
“[Emergency crews] “They took the pilot out and liked it, so I think it’s in good shape,” witness Darryl Hallett said.
“The police were telling us to move because they thought it was going to explode,” Grayson Hallett said.
Video from the scene also showed a child being pulled from the wreckage. The plane is a rare Bell 222, made famous by the TV show “Airwolf” in the 1980s.
“The helicopter is connected to the Cars and Copters event scheduled for tomorrow,” city officials said in a statement. “The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified, and the investigation remains ongoing.”
No further details were revealed, including the circumstances of the victims or the cause of the accident.
Cars ‘N Copters on the Coast will continue as scheduled on Sunday, October 12.
Luis Zuniga, Sofia Pope Perez and Tracy Mejia contributed to this report.