According to the CBS Los Angeles, authorities say three people have died in a helicopter crash early this morning in the rural area of Acton, Calif., in northern Los Angeles County. The helicopter may have been used in the production of an unknown reality show.
At approximately 3:40 this morning Los Angeles County Fire was dispatched to Polsa Rosa Ranch in Acton. According to dispatcher Robert Diaz everyone on board died.
The crash occurred in an area that is typically rented out by film crews. According to investigators the chopper was being used as part of a film production.
The Los Angeles Film Commission told CBS that Bongo Productions had a permit to shoot in the area on a reportedly untitled reality show, which began shooting on Saturday. It’s not known if the accident happened during a film shoot.
Philip Sokoloski, a spokesman for FilmL.A., which processes filming permits for location shootings in the Los Angeles region, said a production company had been approved to use a helicopter for a reality TV show. The shoot was scheduled to go from Saturday afternoon into Saturday night.
Paperwork shows the production company was working on an untitled military-themed program. Records also show Crossbow Helicopters received approval to participate in filming from the Federal Aviation Administration.
"The helicopter crashed into an open field," Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Martin Smith said. "They did have camera equipment on board the helicopter, and there were ground cameras nearby." No injuries or damage were reported on the ground, and the crash did not result in a fire.
Television footage showed mangled wreckage in a rugged canyon area near Soledad Canyon Road.
The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration and law enforcement agencies are investigating.
According to Bongo Productions’ website Michael Caruana, who runs Bongo Productions, acts “as an on-set-acting coach, Michael is engaged by production to work with individual actors prior to shooting and/or on set.”
According to Polsa Rosa’s website it is a "movie ranch" where film crews can utilize a variety of terrains as well as two airstrips. The ranch has been used for movies such as, "Windtalkers" and last year's remake of "Red Dawn."
Be sure to check out my other examiner columns:
Celebrity and other news and Concert and music reviews
Subscribe to get email updates when new articles are published!
Questions/comments? Email me at randy@sacandbeyond.com or visit SacAndBeyond.com
Comments