A medical helicopter carrying a donated heart crashed on the roof of Keck Hospital of USC in Los Angeles, California. The pilot of the private air ambulance helicopter lost control as he tried to land on the helipad.
Dramatic video captured the helicopter spinning out of control as it veered toward the edge of the building. The helicopter landed its side, sending debris crashing to the ground. By the time the fire department arrived, the pilot managed to free himself from the wreckage. He was taken to the hospital and was treated for minor injuries. Two other people involved in the crash declined medical attention.
Officials said the building was stable following the crash, which one nurse mistook for an earthquake.
"I was doing notes after seeing some patients and we felt the building shake. We assumed... (it's) Southern California so we thought it was an earthquake," Daniel Salinas told KABC.
The firefighters had to use the "jaws of life" to cut through the mangled helicopter and retrieve the heart. A medical worker grabbed the heart but dropped it as he was trying to bring it back inside. Luckily, the heart was not damaged the crash and was handed over to hospital staff so it could be prepared for the transplant operation.
Investigators have not determined what caused the helicopter crash.
Photo: Getty Images