Helicopter crash-lands in Sherman Oaks near 101, 405 Freeways

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A helicopter crash-landed Friday in Sherman Oaks and the four people aboard the aircraft were treated for injuries that appeared to be non-life-threatening, authorities said.

Firefighters were sent to the 15000 block of West Valleyheart Drive shortly after noon, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

Two men, a woman and a teenage girl who were aboard the helicopter got out safely before firefighters arrived on scene, Margaret Stewart of the LAFD said. Paramedics took them to a hospital  for treatment, she added.


According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot of the Robinson R44 "called May Day ... and then made a hard landing on a residential street."

"The helicopter sustained substantial damage," the FAA reported.

There was no fire, the LAFD's Stewart said. "The pilot limited damage (on the ground) to a small section of fence," Stewart said. "No homes were damaged and no one on the ground was injured."

Richard Hart of National Helicopter Service, the Van Nuys company that owns the helicopter, told reporters at the scene he was "ecstatic" no one suffered more than minor injuries, as he had been informed.

He also praised the pilot, saying all the training all of the company's pilots undergo paid off.

The site is just north of the Ventura (101) Freeway, which was not affected, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Valleyheart Drive was closed from Noble Avenue to Sepulveda Boulevard, the LAFD reported. An investigation was being conducted by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

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