WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A medical transport helicopter made an emergency landing in front of a Montgomery County home Monday evening.
“We got very lucky tonight,” said Whitemarsh Township Police Chief Christopher Ward. “It’s a miracle.”
Just before 7:45 p.m., a PennSTAR medical helicopter landed on the lawn of a home on the 6000 block of Musket Road in Whitemarsh Township.
“The helicopter was traveling from Philadelphia, returning to its base at Wings Field. There were no patients on board,” said Ward. “There was a crew of three.”
Ward said the three crewmembers walked away with minor injuries. They were taken to the hospital for evaluation.
“There were no injuries to any persons or any damage to any property on the ground other than what you see of the helicopter on the lawn there,” Ward added.
Eric Ford, a neighbor, saw the helicopter go down.
“It was spinning a little bit. It was quickly going toward the ground,” he recalled. “I can’t believe that they were able to land that safely. It was going down very quick.”
Francis Ford, who lives on the block, rushed to the scene to help those onboard.
“It’s pretty crazy because l’m a student pilot myself,” he said, “so seeing that definitely makes me a little bit nervous. But also the whole time I was thinking, I really hope everyone’s OK. And the pilots did a great job.”
Anyone in the neighborhood who may come across helicopter debris is advised not to touch it. Officials said they should call 911 immediately.
The cause of the emergency landing is still unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration is taking over the investigation.