No Serious Injuries in 2 Helicopter Mishaps

A San Bernardino County sheriff’s helicopter crashed Tuesday night in a remote area of the San Bernardino National Forest, but all three people aboard suffered only minor injuries and were in radio contact with authorities.

The helicopter, carrying a pilot, a observer and an investigating deputy, struck a mountainside shortly before 6 p.m. as the aircraft was lifting off from an investigation site, said San Bernardino County sheriff’s spokesman Chip Patterson.

The crew had only bumps and bruises but were unprepared for subfreezing mountain temperatures, Patterson said. It was not known whether there were blankets, food or water in the aircraft.

A search on foot was to continue through the night, though it was being hampered by steep terrain and low visibility, Patterson said. Visibility was as low as 10 feet because of fog and low clouds.

It was the second helicopter mishap of the day. Earlier, a Marine helicopter with a leak in its hydraulic system made an emergency landing in a park near Pepperdine University in Malibu, a Navy spokeswoman said. No injuries were reported.

The CH-46 double-rotor helicopter carrying 10 Marines landed at Michael Landon Park, said Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station spokeswoman Cora Fields.