Horrifying moment helicopter carrying donor heart crashes on the roof of Los Angeles hospital, before doctor DROPS rescued organ on the ground – but transplant is still able to go ahead
- Helicopter flew from San Diego to Keck Hospital in East Los Angeles on Friday
- The medical helicopter was carrying a donor heart that was to be transplanted
- Just after 3:15pm, the helicopter made its descent toward rooftop helipad
- Amateur video shows helicopter spinning out of control during the landing
- Helicopter fell onto its side and debris was sent flying toward the sidewalk
- Pilot suffered minor injuries and two others on board were unharmed
- Firefighters used ‘jaws of life’ to retrieve heart and gave it to medical worker
- But the medical worker tripped and fell, dropping the organ onto the floor
- Fortunately, the organ was not damaged and transplant was successful
A helicopter delivering a donated human heart to a hospital in East Los Angeles crashed on the roof on Friday, but the three people aboard escaped without serious injuries and the organ was eventually transplanted despite a doctor dropping it onto the ground.
Dramatic amateur video shows the private eight-seat helicopter ambulance spinning out of control moments before the pilot was set to land it onto the roof of Keck Hospital in Boyle Heights just after 3:15pm on Friday.
As the AgustaWestland AW109 medical helicopter descended toward the helipad, it suddenly veered toward the edge of the roof before landing on its side.
Hospital officials said nobody inside or around the facility was injured. Passersby outside went running after debris fell from the chopper, according to KTLA-TV.
An AgustaWestland AW109 medical helicopter flying from San Diego is seen above getting ready to land onto the roof of Keck Hospital in East Los Angeles on Friday afternoon. The helicopter is carrying a donated human heart that is to be transplanted
Dramatic amateur video shows the private eight-seat helicopter ambulance spinning out of control moments before the pilot was set to land it onto the roof of Keck Hospital in Boyle Heights just after 3:15pm on Friday
The video shows the helicopter spinning out of control as it neared the helipad
Doctors inside the hospital said they felt a ‘light, brief jolt’
‘The aircraft is stable on its side, on the helipad,’ LAFD said shortly after the crash.
‘There does not appear to be a significant fuel leak.’
News reports showed the helicopter on its side on the rooftop pad, with its rotor blades gone.
The pilot received minor injuries and two other people aboard didn’t report any medical problems and declined treatment, fire spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.
The aircraft landed on its side. Luckily, none of the three people on board were injured seriously
The pilot was hospitalized with minor injuries. He is seen above being wheeled out on a gurney
The Los Angeles Fire Department rescue services used the ‘jaws of life’ to retrieve the organ, which was inside the aircraft
The rescue services then gave the organ to a medical worker, who tripped and fell, dropping the heart. Luckily, the organ wasn’t damaged
‘The donated organ that was being transported was safely retrieved by LAFD firefighters and handed over to USC-County Hospital staff,’ the Fire Department tweeted.
Video shows rescue workers working quickly to save the organ, which was stranded inside the helicopter. They used the ‘jaws of life,’ the nickname given to hydraulic rescue tools, to cut through the metal and retrieve the heart.
They managed to hand the organ to a medical worker, who promptly turned around and rushed inside the hospital.
But the medical worker then tripped over helicopter debris, dropping the heart. Luckily, no damage was done to the organ.
The hospital later said the heart was being transplanted.