Witnesses, neighbors react after medical helicopter emergency lands in Whitemarsh Twp.
Witnesses react after medical helicopter emergency lands in Whitemarsh Twp.
Witnesses and neighbors are reacting after a medical helicopter emergency landed in Whitemarsh Township Monday evening.
WHITEMARSH TWP., Pa. - A medical helicopter made an emergency landing in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Monday night, leaving residents in awe of what they are calling a miraculous event.
Despite the dramatic descent, no injuries were reported, and the incident is now under investigation by federal authorities.
What we know:
Around 7:45 p.m. Monday, a PennStar medical helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in a neighborhood on Musket Road.
The helicopter, which was en route from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to Wings Field Airport in Blue Bell, was planning to pick up a patient at Chester County Hospital.
Medical helicopter emergency lands in Whitemarsh Twp.; All 3 occupants safe
Details are developing after reports say a helicopter made an emergency landing in Fort Washington, Montgomery County Monday.
Remarkably, the helicopter landed in the yard and driveway of a home without causing any injuries to the crew or residents.
What they're saying:
Heather Heenan, a neighbor, recounted her daughter's observation of the helicopter spinning and descending across the street.
Initially dismissing it as a child's imagination, Heenan later realized the gravity of the situation, stating, "It was a miracle that the pilot was able to control a helicopter that had no control and safely crash onto a front yard. Not on the kids that are biking around. My kids were running around the neighborhood."
Becky Harobin, another neighbor, described the sound as similar to a loud motorcycle engine and noted the helicopter's low altitude before it dropped quickly into the yard.
She praised the crew's calm demeanor."They were shaken clearly but calm enough to tell people to step back just in case. They were great," she said.
The helicopter remained on the lawn for inspection, with its rotor found in 16-year-old Aubrey Sheehan's backyard, several houses away. Sheehan expressed shock upon discovering the debris, saying, "We go out and we go, 'OMG, there's a piece of a helicopter in our backyard,' and it was just shocking."
Heather Heenan summed up the community's sentiment: "I can't believe that happened, but how lucky that family is, how lucky this neighborhood is, how lucky the pilot and his crew members are."
What's next:
While neighbors are grateful for the safe outcome, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident to determine what went wrong.
Metro Aviation, the operator of the helicopter, commended the pilot's professionalism and skill in executing a safe landing under challenging circumstances.