Navy chopper nearly crashes into LAPD bird on election day near DTLA
The near-miss happened Tuesday during a joint Navy-Coast Guard training exercise near the federal courthouse on Election Day.
By Hans Laetz
A U.S. Navy helicopter almost crashed into an LAPD helicopter Tuesday near downtown L.A.
What makes it strange is that the military says it was conducting federal military exercises on Election Day — Navy and Coast Guard helicopters operating one mile from the U.S. federal courthouse in downtown L.A.
One of the Navy helicopters encountered an LAPD pilot who was orbiting about 900 feet above Echo Park over a crime scene.
The LAPD pilot says he saw the Navy chopper bearing down on him and took evasive action. The LAPD pilot yelled at the Navy pilot and was not happy.
The Navy chopper was participating in a joint training exercise with Coast Guard helicopters near the federal courthouse. The LAPD helicopter was tracking a suspect, and the two choppers were supposed to be communicating on a common helicopter frequency.
The LAPD pilot reports the Navy pilot pushed him out of his position and did not respond to radio calls.
An irritated LAPD pilot snapped at the Navy pilot on a radio frequency: "You guys have got to pay attention, man.
"That was ridiculous."
The U.S. Navy says it is investigating, and that its aircraft was participating in a joint training exercise with the Coast Guard and LAPD.
Apparently they were not communicating. All of this happened over a densely populated neighborhood not far from Dodger Stadium.
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