A small helicopter crashed Thursday while maneuvering near French Valley Airport, leaving the pilot with minor injuries and causing an aviation fuel spill that prompted a hazardous materials response.
The rotorcraft accident was reported at about 1 p.m. Thursday in the area of Auld and Briggs roads, on the north end of the airport perimeter, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine crews, as well as sheriff’s patrol units, were sent to the location and found the chopper in a vacant space. Officials at the scene described damage to the helicopter as “moderate.” There was no post-crash fire.
Paramedics assessed the pilot, who was the sole occupant, and determined he had suffered minor superficial injuries. The aviator’s identity was not disclosed. He apparently declined transportation to a hospital for further treatment.
Roughly 10 gallons of avgas spilled out of the 26-gallon fuel tank aboard the helicopter, and the fire department’s hazmat unit was sent to mop it up, according to reports from the scene.
Federal Aviation Administration personnel were dispatched to conduct a preliminary investigation of what might have triggered the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board was expected to take over the probe in the coming days.
The airport, which is county-owned, remained open Thursday afternoon.