by Timothy Rutt

The Pasadena Police Department said that the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate a Nov. 17 crash of two helicopters at the department's Altadena helipad.

Six individuals, including five officers, were injured in the crash, which extensively damaged two Bell OH-58 aircraft.

According to a press release, the rotor blades of both copters touched during a landing maneuver at the helipad.  Aircrews from both helicopters were injured "with minor cuts and complaint of pain," the release said.

Those injured included an unnamed civilian contractor and five Pasadena police officers: Lt. Michael Ingram, Lt. Randell Taylor, and officers Carol Eldridge, Markus Mendenhall, and Ryan Smith. Eldridge and Mendenhall were the pilots of the aircraft.

On Sunday, November 18, members of the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration met with Pasadena Police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez and Deputy Chief Darryl Qualls to conduct a preliminary investigation. The NTSB will be the lead agency into the investigation of the accident.  Sanchez said, “The NTSB and FAA have the full cooperation of the Pasadena Police Department in their investigation.” 

The release said that the NTSB will post their preliminary findings in approximately 10 days, but it's a long walk to a final report: the factual findings will post in one year and the final report will post in three years, per the National Transportation Safety Board guidelines, according to the press release.