Family of child injured in helicopter crash optimistic about recovery

Relatives of an 8-year-old boy who was among five people injured when a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach over the weekend are optimistic about his recovery, according to an online fundraising campaign set up to support him.

The child suffered a “collapsed lung and a brain bleed,” after a twin-engine Bell 222 spiraled toward the ground and crashed into trees in front of Hilton’s Waterfront Beach Resort on Pacific Coast Highway, according to organizers of a GoFundMe page for the boy. Two other people who were on the ground at the time, as well as the pilot and another occupant of the aircraft, were also hospitalized.

The boy’s condition seemed “to be getting better,” Madeline Ashwell, listed as the organizer of the GoFundMe page, wrote in a post Tuesday. “Doctors cannot say much due to it still being in the early stages but we are hopeful. Thank you to everyone who has donated and we really appreciate it. We did not expect this much support and we are truly thankful to each person.”

The account had garnered over $94,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. Organizers said all proceeds will help cover the boy’s medical expenses and support his parents, who have taken time away from work to care for their son.

“We are not blaming or accusing anyone,” fundraiser organizers added.

The pilot of the helicopter, Eric Nixon, is known as an influencer in the aviation community. His Instagram page — which had been either deleted or set to private as of Monday — featured clips of daring, low-altitude maneuvers. One video on the page promoted a helicopter landing party for the Cars ’n Copters on the Coast event taking place in Huntington Beach Saturday. It showed one of his helicopters narrowly swooping past the rooftop lounge of the resort he later crashed in front of.

Nixon’s father-in-law, Jerry Miller, told the Orange County Register the pilot was “in the hospital with some broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and several bruises.” The Register also reported that the passenger in the aircraft had thanked Nixon in a social media post “for quick actions that made sure that we both got out safely.”

Officials declined to release additional updates regarding the others hurt in the crash, citing privacy laws.

The helicopter that crashed was built in 1980, and its registration with the Federal Aviation Administration was valid through January 2027. It had departed from Redlands Municipal Airport before going down in Orange County, according to the Flight Safety Foundation.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the incident. Crews were seen using a crane Tuesday to load the helicopter onto a truck so that it could be studied by crash investigators.