Two helicopter crashes on Saturday—one in California and one in Florida—have gone viral on social media.
Huntington Beach, California police officer Nicholas Vellas, serving as the tactical flight officer, was killed and the pilot survived when the department’s 1998 MD Helicopters 520N, HB1, crashed in shallow water between Lido Isle and the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Bay. The accident occurred just after 6:30 p.m. local time.
Surveillance video of the crash broadcast by a local television station shows the helicopter in a nose-down attitude and rapidly spinning in a manner that suggests a loss of anti-torque authority. The helicopter's Notar system uses boundary layer flow along the tail boom and ducted thrust in place of a conventional tail rotor. On Sunday night, the NTSB said the pilot had issued a distress call shortly before the crash, alluding to mechanical difficulty. The wreckage has been recovered and is being moved to the Phoenix area for further examination.
In the Florida crash, surveillance video posted to Twitter by the Miami police showed a black Robinson R44 Raven 1 apparently autorotating into the surf less than 50 yards from a large group of swimmers off Miami’s crowded South Beach at 1:10 p.m. local time. The flight originated at the North Perry-Hollywood airport (KHWO) and is believed to have been an aerial sightseeing mission with a pilot and two passengers. The pilot is reported to be in good condition while the passengers are said to have suffered broken backs. The helicopter, N544SB, is registered to HD Aviation Services of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and was being operated by South Beach Helicopters.