Crazy video of smoke blazing from the quickly descending chopper added at the bottom.
Amid crazy news of a shotgun shooter in Hollywood (three arrests were made and no one was injured) a news helicopter in the area made an emergency landing.
The L.A. Fire Department reported that the incident happened at 6638 Franklin Ave. about 6:05 p.m.
KTLA News reported that …
… it was an emergency landing and that “everyone is okay:”
KTLA News Helicopter Makes an Emergency Landing in Parking Lot, Everyone is Okay.
— ktla (@KTLA) August 28, 2012
The LAFD's Brian Humphrey stated:
KTLA helicopter has landed upright/safely; All parties aboard are safe; Though smoking on descent, no fire at this time …
He blamed the situation on “an apparent oil leak.”
Whew.
[Added at 6:32 p.m.]: Pilot Tim Lynn tweeted this:
Jeff and I are OK
KTLA News broadcast footage taken from the chopper as it got lower and lower near Highland Avenue and, finally, as it the feed blanked out. Here's a screen grab;
[Added at 11:29 p.m.]: CBS Los Angeles reported tonight that its pilot noticed Sky 5's smoking engine as the two were over the shooting report in Hollywood. The CBS2 pilot told the KTLA pilot to find a place to land, and he did.
Audio of CBS2's Stu Mundel had him saying over the radio:
Dude he's on fire Five's got trouble. I don't know what's wrong.
KTLA's Lynn later told CBS2 that Mundel had mentored him and that he was fully prepared to take his advice and get the airship landed. At one point Lynn told the assignment desk, via radio, “don't talk to me right now” as he tried to figure out where to land.
CBS got this crazy video:
CBS2 has more here.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.