A helicopter crane clipped an office building as it was hoisting an air conditioning unit off a roof, seriously injuring the pilot
and igniting a four-alarm fire at a defense contractor in El Segundo.
The pilot “was pulled from the aircraft by people on the ground, prior to the helicopter bursting into flames,” said FAA spokesman Mike Fergus. His medical condition was not known.
Fire trucks from four adjacent cities were rushed to the crash, as the bottom two floors burned at a Raytheon office building in El Segundo.
The cargo helicopter came crashing down into the patio area of the structure right next to the building about 9:30 a.m., said El Segundo Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Guyer.
Fire departments from Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Los Angeles County needed 40 minutes to extinguish the blaze. No damage estimate was immediately available and no other injuries were reported.
The exact model of Sikorsky helicopter was not released.
The building is used by Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems division, which builds forward-looking infrared radar systems and missile guidance components, and has $4.8 billion in annual revenues.
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