ALTADENA – Federal investigators examined the scene Sunday where two Pasadena police helicopters collided.
The crash sent six officers to the hospital with minor injuries, and all had been released from the hospital by Sunday morning, Pasadena police officials said.
“We are so grateful that not only did they walk away, but they walked away relatively unscathed, Lt. Phlunte Riddle said. “Just some bumps and bruises and a few stitches.”
It took place about 4 p.m. Saturday at the Pasadena Police Department’s heliport in Altadena, 2175 Yucca Lane.
“We had an investigator on-scene today,” National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said. “Basically, she was documenting the scene and examining both aircraft.”
Investigators will analyze the findings to determine the cause and circumstances of the collision, he said.
The NTSB is spearheading the probe into how the crash occurred, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Holloway.
The crash involved two Vietnam War-era Bell OH-58 helicopters, police said. One was assigned to normal patrol duties, while the other was assigned to work the Rose Bowl for a UCLA vs. USC football game that attracted more than 83,000 sports fans.
The preliminary investigation indicated that one of the helicopters was taking off and the other was landing when their rotors came in contact with each other, Holloway said.
He added that a preliminary report on the crash was expected to be posted on the NTSB’s website, www.ntsb.gov, later this week or early next week.