Photo courtesy of LASD.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopter was forced to land on a Lakewood street late Sunday after a bird struck the airborne unit.
The crew of LASD's Air 24 landed the American Eurocopter on Del Amo Street between Paramount Boulevard and Cherry Avenue at about 8:50 p.m. Del Amo was closed for about three hours, while the crew inspected the craft.
Airborne deputies requested a "precautionary landing" after hearing a loud noise coming from the aircraft while in flight. After landing safety on Del Amo, the flight crew checked the outside of the helicopter and determined the loud noise was being caused by a bird striking the fuselage (cabin) above the pilot canopy.
After assessing the mechanical condition of the helicopter, the crew was able to fly it back to the Aero Bureau. No one was injured, and there was no property damage caused by the landing.
