Residents speak about helicopter crash landing

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Residents are speaking out about the close encounter with a helicopter that crashed into a neighborhood.

Residents in a West Palm Beach neighborhood are thankful that the helicopter that crash landed on Saturday did not cause more damage than it did.

"I just feel grateful. I feel very, very grateful," said Nedra Obradovich, who lives in the house hit by the helicopter. "It sounded like sort of like an earthquake would sound and my house felt like it was going to be divided. Honestly I was just calm and really just hoping everybody in my neighborhood is safe."

The crash happened at Floral Avenue and 33rd Street in West Palm Beach, Saturday.

The helicopter took off from North County Airport on an aerial tour, and lost power.

"I was sitting on the porch. the sound of the helicopter went from normal to abnormal," said Suzanne Catty, a witness to the crash. "You could just tell. The helicopter was not flying like this, it was flying like that as it was banking around."

According to a witness, the helicopter first hit power lines, then hit a tree, and a home and a car before crash landing in the front yard of a home.

"It was just a loud crash and I have a bunch of dogs and they all went nuts," Reed Stewart.

"They were possibly taking photos, aerial photos when he lost power and in turn crashing into the tree and the home," said West Palm Beach Fire Dept. Chief Joey Montero.

The male pilot and female passenger onboard walked away from the crash unharmed.

"He kept saying to the woman, 'Are you OK?'" said Catty.

"They were just shaken, naturally, and just amazed that they are just walking around," said Stewart.

"What was so fantastic was the people that were in it walked away with cuts and bruises," said a resident of the neighborhood.

Both pilot and passenger were taken to the hospital and later released.

Residents in the area won't soon forget the event. "A once in a lifetime thing obviously, I hope," said Stewart.

"That could have been our house you know that could have been us I could have come home and found a helicopter in my front yard," said a thankful neighbor.

The homeowner of the house hit by the helicopter is the most thankful of all. "My kids still need me, my time is not over yet. I feel like I have been given a second chance," said Obradovich.

About 80 customers in the area lost power due to the crash, but it was restored.

The FAA is investigating the crash.

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