EMMA WOOD STATE BEACH : Helicopter Forced to Land on Highway
An Oxnard helicopter pilot was forced to land on the Pacific Coast Highway north of Ventura on Tuesday after a fuel system problem caused his chopper’s engine to begin sputtering, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
Neither Giacoma Valenti nor the unidentified passenger in his Hiller helicopter were injured in the 2:40 p.m. emergency landing near Emma Wood State Beach, Officer Jim Utter said.
Valenti had taken off from Santa Paula for a brief flight up the coast when the engine problem occurred. Utter said Valenti brought the craft down on the northbound lane of the highway, causing traffic delays for about an hour while a mechanic made preliminary repairs.
The pilot then taxied the helicopter to a nearby clearing, where the repairs were completed, and flew the craft home an hour later, police said.
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