Local News in Brief : Copter Door Lands on Roof of Home
A cargo door from a Los Angeles County sheriff’s helicopter fell off while the craft was in flight Tuesday and landed on the roof of an Altadena home, causing only minor damage to a chimney, authorities said. No one was injured and the helicopter continued on its mission.
The helicopter, with its crew of five, including two paramedics, was en route to an automobile accident in Palmdale when the sheet metal door, which weighs about 25 pounds, flew off in high winds and “fluttered to the ground like a feather,” said Sgt. Doug Travis of the sheriff’s Aero Bureau.
Travis said the craft, a Sikorsky S-58-T, a modified version of a military CH-34 used for troop transportation in Vietnam, is one of three such helicopters operated by the county. He said the craft, built in the late 1960s, is the largest in the county’s fleet and has a relatively problem-free history.
“It is one of the safest helicopters that we can fly over the community,” Travis said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
