An unexpected landing of a helicopter forced a temporary shutdown of the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles Thursday evening, causing a commotion for commuters before the lanes were reopened. According to NBC Los Angeles, a mechanical issue prompted the emergency landing of the aircraft on the southbound 110 Freeway, just north of the 105 Freeway.
The incident occurred around 8:24 p.m. and involved a 2011 Robinson R44 II helicopter which had taken off from Hawthorne Airport at 7:35 p.m. The pilot, Bruce Kafil, conducted an aerial tour with a couple when the aircraft experienced power loss. "I instructed my passengers to get out right away because I feared a possible collision from oncoming traffic," Kafil told KTLA. Traffic was significantly affected, but a SigAlert eventually reopened all southbound lanes.
The California Highway Patrol along with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene, where the helicopter, which did not catch fire or incur any passenger injuries, had landed in the express lanes, as per information provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The situation was managed promptly with traffic being diverted at the Century Boulevard exit while crews worked to remove the helicopter.
