Two Aircraft Collided At Helipad Saturday Afternoon

Two police helicopters collided during operations Saturday resulting in slight injuries to five officers aboard the aircraft and one on the ground.

CBS News reports that one of the aircraft had been assigned to monitor traffic leaving a football game at the Rose Bowl Saturday, and the other was a police patrol aircraft. Officials said one helicopter was landing while the other was departing, and they collided about 1610 PST at the Pasadena Police Department's helipad.

The number of officers reported to be injured fluctuated between five and six. Officials said five were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, but then adjusted the number to six. The injured included two pilots, three observers, and one officer on the ground.

The Pasadena Police Department created a Helicopter Section in 1969. Its most recent aircraft is an MD 500E model police helicopter approved by City Council was received in September 2008, and delivered about a year later. According to Pasadena Air Operations OIC, Captain Bob Mulhall, “The MD 500E was selected for a variety of reasons. Its speed, durability, maneuverability and overall performance are unmatched in a police helicopter. Just as important in the urban environment is the MD 500E’s noise signature. That’s why the department selected the four-bladed quiet tail rotor system.”

(Pasadena Police OH-58 pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/Police/air_operations_home/