One killed, one injured in helicopter crash in Santa Clarita

One man was killed and another injured this morning when a helicopter installing power lines crashed near Bouquet Canyon in Santa Clarita, officials said.

The aircraft was hovering near the ground just after lift off when it crashed about 9:30 a.m., said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

As the helicopter crashed, its tail broke off and a rotor blade struck a man on the ground, Gregor said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but it’s believed the aircraft was struck by a strong gust of wind, he said.

The pilot of the aircraft had minor injuries but refused medical treatment, said Inspector Ron Haralson of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The names of both men were not immediately released, officials said.

The helicopter was operated by an employee of Swanson Aviation, a sub-contractor of Southern California Edison, said Gil Alexander, a spokesman for the power company.

It was installing power lines as part of a wind farm power plant being built in nearby Tehachapi, he said. “This is a tragedy,” Alexander said. “Our condolences go out to all those involved in the project working for us and to our entire company.”

The FAA categorized the helicopter, a Kaman K-1220, as “experimental” and listed its owner as Superior Leasing LLC in Grants Pass Oregon on its website.

Officials from Swanson Aviation could not be reached for comment.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

LA County Sheriff's deputies inspect the helicopter accident site on Bouquet Canyon Road, where a gust of wind caused the helicopter to spiral out of control killing a man on the ground. Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Louis]

Just imagine what will happen if the helicopter fell in Chino Hills, CA where SCE will build these huge power lines through the city with only a 150' wide corridor between family homes?

[Debra Hernandez]

This same project is proposed to run right through the center of Chino Hills with 200' high, 500kV transmission wires in a right of way that hasn't been active for over 30 years...long before there were homes, schools and parks. The existing right of way is less than 150' wide in some areas. An installation of this magnitude is unprecedented. There are over 1000 homes, housing hundreds of childen, directly adjacent to this proposed route...now imagine the same helicopter crash along that route. The City of Chino Hills has proposed a number of alternate routes - away from homes - and for some reason SCE keeps putting up road blocks. This is a 1.8 billion dollar project. To route it around the one heavily populated area in the proposed path will add approximately 5 cents to everyone's electric bill. It's time that communities all over the country stand up and insist that electric companies find community friendly ways of supplying power. 3 doctors from the California Dept. of Health reviewed data and concluded they could not discount a link between high voltage lines and childhood lukemia, miscarraiges, adult brain tumors, and ALS. We don't allow companies to cause illness due to recklessly polluting our water sources, food sources, our air quality, or provide medicines with unacceptable side effects. Why should utility companies be held to a less stringent standard? Devastating wild fires have been traced back to downed lines from various utility companies. Now image one of these 200' towers failing in an earthquake or line snapping in high winds...all within 150' of homes. Santa Clarita wasn' the first "accident" of this type....hopefully the fight being waged by city leaders in Chino Hills will make sure the next one doesn't involve one of the citizens of this community or another community in the future.

[aircraftleasing companies]

Its really sad news. Just imagine what will happen if the helicopter fell in Chino Hills.

[Staycie]

My condolences to the family of the victims. May they find comfort in the wonderful hope found at John 5:28 & 29.