LOS ANGELES --
An investigation was under way Saturday in the death of a helicopter pilot who died in a fiery crash on a South Los Angeles freeway. Video: Helicopter Pilot Dies After Crash Firefighters arrived to find the wreckage burning on the southbound Harbor (110) Freeway near Century Boulevard at about 11 p.m. Friday, said Ron Myers of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The pilot, based at Torrance Airport, was flying a Robinson R-22 from El Monte to Torrance when under unknown circumstances he crashed onto the southbound lanes of the freeway, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Ian Gregor.
The pilot died at the scene and was the only person inside the helicopter, said Gregor, who added officials have yet to determine what led to the crash.
"The FAA was out last night and so was the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)," he said.
The aircraft, which authorities believe was trying to land, did not make contact with any other vehicle on the ground, CHP Sgt. Eric Broneer told a camera crew.
However, there were reports that one vehicle ran over debris from the helicopter's wreckage, Broneer told the camera crew.
Pieces of the wreckage were spread across the freeway, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was notified about power lines that may have been damaged in the crash, according to the camera crew.
The R-22 is a small, piston-driven chopper frequently used for training, and built at the Robinson factory in Torrance. Priced at $230,000 new, they are among the smallest helicopters manufactured, and weigh just 885 pounds.
