Issues reported before California police helicopter crash

Published February 21, 2022 9:21 AM

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot reported mechanical issues shortly before a police helicopter crashed nose first along the Southern California coast, killing one officer. The two Huntington Beach police officers were responding to a disturbance in the neighboring city of Newport Beach around 6:30 p.m. Saturday when the aircraft crashed in a narrow strip of water between Lido Isle and the Balboa Peninsula. Nicholas Vella, a 14-year veteran, died in the crash. The other officer, who hasn’t been named, was released from a hospital on Sunday.

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