Helicopter makes hard landing at Carlsbad airport; occupants uninjured

CARLSBAD (CNS) - A hard landing at McClellan-Palomar Airport left a light helicopter toppled onto its side on Wednesday, Oct. 2, but nobody was hurt.

The Robinson R44 chopper overturned for unknown reasons while its pilot tried to set it down on the sole runway of the general/commercial aviation center on Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad about 1:45 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The accident resulted in no fire, and the two people aboard the copter were able to walk away from the damaged aircraft, said Mike Lopez, a division chief with the Carlsbad Fire Department. Paramedics evaluated them at the scene and determined that they needed no medical care, Lopez said.

FAA investigators will work to determine the cause of the crash, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the federal agency.

The four-seat helicopter is registered to Robinson Helicopter Co. of Torrance, according to FAA records.