Three people were killed early Sunday morning in a helicopter crash. The crash took place in a rural area of northern Los Angeles County, while in the midst of filming for a new reality TV show for the Discovery Channel.
The 3:40 a.m. local time (6:40 a.m. ET) crash happened on the site of the Polsa Rosa Movie Ranch in Acton, California, on the northwestern edge of the Angeles National Forest, about 30 miles north of Los Angeles.
The pilot, along with two passengers aboard the Bell 206 JetRanger died, officials said. Their identities were not immediately released.
The reality show, listed on a filming permit as an untitled military-theme TV program, had not been aired or announced by the Discovery Channel, spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said.
“A production company was shooting a show for Discovery Channel when this tragic accident occurred,” the station said in a statement. “We are all cooperating fully with authorities. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families.”
Eyeworks USA, the show’s production company, is best known for creating NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Eyeworks USA also issued a statement expressing their sympathies to the victim’s families. The production company is also cooperating with authorities.
Polsa Rosa Movie RanchThe company had been approved for the use of the helicopter for the reality TV show, shooting at the ranch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning, said Philip Sokoloski, a spokesman for FilmLA. FilmLA processes the filming permits for location shootings in the Los Angeles region. Crossbow Helicopters also received approval to participate in filming from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We wouldn’t have referenced helicopter activity if we did’t already have pre-approval from the FAA,” Sokoloski said.
The cause of the crash and other circumstances surrounding the crash are still unknown, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said. Television footage of the crash showed mangled wreckage in a rugged canyon area near Soledad Canyon Road.
Polsa Ranch is a”movie ranch” where production companies can film movies, TV shows and commercials. There are a variety of terrains and it has two airstrips and “miles of roads,” according to its website. According to the Internet Movie Database, the ranch was used in Windtalkers and last year’s remake of Red Dawn.
In September, the site also had another entertainment industry death. A 48-year-old crew member died of an apparent heart attack while underwater in scuba gear on the set of the upcoming Johnny Depp movie, The Lone Ranger.
More news will be announced in the coming hours. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims.
