Helicopter Crash Injures Five on Huntington Beach Oceanfront

A helicopter went down near the Hyatt pedestrian bridge in Huntington Beach, sending five people to the hospital as federal investigators respond.

Background

The city of Huntington Beach is no stranger to attention from the air. Air shows, banner towers, and scenic flights are part of the coastal backdrop on busy weekends. On Saturday, that familiar scene took a sharp turn when a helicopter crashed beside Pacific Coast Highway near the pedestrian bridge by the Hyatt Regency, injuring five people and triggering a multi-agency response. 

What Happened

According to CBS Los Angeles, the crash occurred just after 2 p.m. local time near a beach-access parking lot off Pacific Coast Highway between Beach Boulevard and Twin Dolphins Drive. Two people aboard the helicopter were rescued from the wreckage, while three pedestrians on the street were also hurt. All five were transported to area hospitals. Conditions had not been released at the time of reporting. 

Witness video captured the aircraft spinning before impact, with the tail section separating and debris scattered across the lot. The fuselage came to rest wedged between palm trees and the stairs of the pedestrian bridge. 

Close up video of the helicopter crash in Huntington Beach, California today! pic.twitter.com/hcYsFG9QtX

— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) October 12, 2025

Street Closures And Event Context

Police closed the Pacific Coast Highway from Huntington Street to Beach Boulevard while officers and investigators secured the scene. Drivers were asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes for several hours after the closure began. 

The timing coincided with an “exclusive helicopter landing party” hosted by MD Helicopters at the Offshore 9 Rooftop Lounge, scheduled ahead of the Cars ‘N Copters On the Coast event on Sunday. Multiple small helicopters were parked nearby in the same beachfront lot. Authorities have not linked the gathering to the cause of the crash, but the proximity explains the cluster of aircraft in the area. 

What We Know About The Response

City officials said federal authorities were alerted, and both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were notified to begin the investigative process. On scene, SkyCal aerial footage showed police tape cordoning off a large portion of the lot while debris was documented and removed. 

Eyewitness Accounts

Bystanders described an unusual sound before the helicopter began to spiral. One witness reported seeing debris shoot across PCH as the aircraft descended toward the bridge. Accounts like these are often helpful in reconstructing the flight path and aircraft behavior in the moments before impact. 

From my own review of the footage, there appears to be something that comes off the helicopter while it starts to lose control. This appears to be a mast bumping event (though I’d love for pilots to weigh in and confirm or deny my amateur assumption.) This is when the main rotor hub contacts the main rotor mast and can result in a catastrophic failure.

While I can’t be sure this is what took place, the separation and rapid failure shortly thereafter seems to align with other examples found online. It’s also the same cause of a fatal crash this spring in New York that took the lives of a family of five on a sightseeing flight and its sole pilot.

What We Still Do Not Know

Officials have not released the helicopter’s make and model, the flight’s purpose, or contributing factors. Weather (though it looked like a perfect day), maintenance, pilot experience, and potential mechanical issues are all standard lines of inquiry. I’d expect preliminary details from the NTSB within a few days, followed by a deeper factual report later on. However, with the current government shutdown, official accounts may be delayed.

While five were reported injured in the Huntington Beach helicopter crash, it wasn’t indicated initially whether those were passengers or those on the ground.

Conclusion

Saturday’s crash is a stark reminder that any flight comes with real risk, even on a postcard-perfect afternoon. Five people were hospitalized, a major roadway was shut down, and an active beach scene turned into a rescue operation. Investigators from the FAA and NTSB will piece together the sequence and the cause. If it, in fact, was mast bumping issue, while rare this would mark the second such occurrence this year. For now, what matters most is that responders moved quickly, bystanders kept their distance, and a busy stretch of Huntington Beach is getting back on its feet while the facts catch up.

What do you think?