Helicopter Crash In Oregon Leaves 1 Injured: Other Recent Incidents Involving Choppers

A helicopter crashed into a field late Tuesday afternoon on Sauvie Island, Oregon, resulting in the pilot, who was the only one present in the chopper at the time, getting injured.

The crash was reported around 5:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. EDT) the 23000 block of Northwest Oak Island Road. According to a report in a CBS-affiliated television station, KOIN-TV, the pilot who remained unidentified was helped out of the helicopter and taken to the nearest hospital with serious injuries,

Deputies with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said he was “in a lot of pain” but was conscious and breathing when responders first arrived at the scene of the crash.

The helicopter that crashed was identified as a Robinson R22 that belonged to the Hillsboro Aero Academy, which is "one of the largest helicopter and airplane flight schools in the United States," according to the company website.

After the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration said that the chopper crashed under “unknown circumstances." The case is currently being investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Robinson R22 is a single engine, two-bladed utility helicopter manufactured by the Robinson Helicopter Company. The two-seat chopper was first designed in the year 1973 by Frank Robinson and has been in production since the year 1979.

In another incident, a Robinson R44 helicopter made a hard landing in the Anza-Borrego desert, three miles east of Borrego Springs in East San Diego County on Monday. Reports state that four people were onboard at the time and the plane went down around 1:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. EDT).

Authorities with the San Diego Sheriff’s Office said three people with minor injuries were treated at the scene by first responders. The four-seat light helicopter, produced by Robinson Helicopter Company since 1992, was registered to big Blue Corporation in Las Vegas. Deputies are still investigating if the chopper was being operated by Big Blue Air, a tour company from Palm Springs, California at the time.

According to the airport officials in Borrego Springs, a male pilot was on his way to Rams Hill Country Club when the helicopter landed in a rough terrain near Inspiration Wash.

The cause of the crash is still unknown and the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are jointly investigating the matter.

In another incident involving a Robinson R44, a chopper of the company made an emergency landing in New Jersey on Aril 20, 2018.

Linden Airport, a mile southeast of downtown Linden, in Union County, New Jersey, reportedly received a distress call from the helicopter at around 9 a.m. local time after it experienced engine failure, Federal Aviation Administration said.

Linden Police said the helicopter made a hard landing at 2700 Marshes Dock Road and there were no injuries reported after the incident. Reports state that two pilots were onboard the chopper at the time.