LAPD, Navy Helicopters Nearly Collide Over Echo Park In ‘Ridiculous’ Close Call

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter narrowly avoided a midair collision with a U.S. Navy helicopter over Echo Park Tuesday afternoon, prompting an angry warning from the police pilot.

The incident occurred at around 2 p.m. Tuesday as the LAPD helicopter was circling above a call for service in Echo Park, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The police helicopter crew received an air traffic alert and spotted a military helicopter approaching its location. The crew attempted to contact the military aircraft over a common aviation frequency but received no response, police said.

The LAPD helicopter changed its flight path to avoid the approaching aircraft, then resumed its patrol after the Navy helicopter passed.

"You guys gotta pay attention, man. That's ridiculous," the LAPD pilot could be heard saying over the radio, according to KTLA.

Both aircraft were reportedly flying at an altitude of about 800 feet. The military aircraft was identified as a Navy Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk, KTLA reported.

No injuries were reported.

On Thursday, the Navy released a statement about the incident.

"U.S. Navy helicopters were conducting a training exercise with the U.S. Coast Guard and Los Angeles Police Department on Nov. 3," a Navy spokesperson said. "Training exercises such as these increase our collective proficiency and interagency work. During the exercise, the Navy aircrew were monitoring and communicating on required radio frequencies. We are committed to operating safely with our partners."

The close call occurred less than a mile from the site of a deadly 1966 helicopter collision near Dodger Stadium that killed five people, including two LAPD officers, KTLA reported.

That crash helped spur the creation of a dedicated radio frequency for helicopter pilots to communicate with one another and avoid collisions.

City News Service contributed to this report.