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Pilot and passenger survive dramatic helicopter crash caught on doorbell camera

The pilot and a passenger said they heard a ‘pop’ sound while flying above Fresno, California

Gino Spocchia
Monday 03 October 2022 18:09 BST
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A pilot and their passenger miraculously survived a helicopter crash, which was caught on a doorbell camera at the weekend in California.

The apparent accident occurred on Saturday morning when the pilot and a passenger said they heard a “pop” sound while flying above Fresno just before 10am, ABC30 reported.

The aircraft, a civilian Bell 206B helicopter, fell from the sky and crashed between two houses near Willow Avenue and Jensen Avenue in the city, about 120 miles southeast of San Jose.

A doorbell camera on a nearby home caught the dramatic crash and has since gone viral on Twitter, where hundreds of thousands of people have viewed the clip.

It shows a helicopter falling from the sky and knocking into one house before hitting a palm tree.

Other footage of the scene showed someone helping the pilot and passenger escape the wreckage of the helicopter, KMPH reported on Saturday.

Police told the news station that both the passenger and pilot were found conscious and breathing and did not suffer major injuries as a result.

Both were taken to hospital and according to reports, were going to survive.

A doorbell camera caught a dramatic helicopter crash in Fresno, California
A doorbell camera caught a dramatic helicopter crash in Fresno, California (Ring / Twitter)

An investigation is now underway with the Federal Aviation Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board joining a probe into the crash, according to ABC30.

A road closure was in place for at least 24 hours following the incident.

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