Three people suffered apparently minor injuries Monday afternoon when a charter helicopter made a hard landing in a remote desert area in the far eastern reaches of San Diego, authorities reported.
The four-seat Robinson R-44 went down for unknown reasons roughly three miles east of Borrego Springs Airport about 1:30 p.m., according to sheriff's officials and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Deputies had to search the barren terrain in the area by ground and air for a time before locating the downed aircraft, which is operated by a Palm Springs-based helicopter charter and tour company called Big Blue Air.
Medics took three of the four people who had been aboard the chopper to a hospital for evaluations, according to Cal Fire.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident, officials said..
.@CALFIRESANDIEGO and units from @SDSheriff, Borrego Fire, and State Parks are at scene of a helicopter down north of Borrego Air Ranch airstrip and east of Borrego. #BorregoIC pic.twitter.com/Vt6VdH8JcO
— CAL FIRE SAN DIEGO (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) April 30, 2018
