Two men were killed in the Port of Los Angeles on Wednesday night, when their helicopter crashed into the water.
The bodies of pilot Christopher Reed, 41, and Michael Justice, 61, were retrieved and taken from the water Thursday morning, and their identities confirmed at the nearby Coast Guard base.
Justice, a photographer and former journalist employed by the Port of Los Angeles, had rented the helicopter in order to take photographs of cruise ships docked in Los Angeles Harbor.
Authorities are still unsure of the cause of the crash. Reed was known to be an accomplished pilot with extensive experience flying this particular model of helicopter. Eyewitnesses reported that the helicopter, a two-seater Robinson R22, spiraled downward and fell into the water Monday evening for no apparent reason.
The helicopter was owned by JJ Helicopters, Inc, and manufactured in 2005 by Robinson Helicopter, which has a lackluster safety record, and has been suspended from use by at least one aviation agency. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Robinson R22 has led to the deaths of at least 239 individuals in 160 reported crashes.
Robinson Helicopter CEO Kurt Robinson has expressed his condolences over the incident, and vowed to work with investigators.
The death of Michael Justice has hit the Port of Los Angeles community particularly hard, as he had worked for the Port for several years, and his photography was well-known.
Casey J. Warren, Justice’s godson and business partner, also narrowly avoided death, having planned to go with Justice on the photography expedition but being unable to do so when no four-seated helicopters were available.
No Comment