Navy Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Chula Vista Park

Update 3:05 p.m. and 5:12 p.m. Thursday, with more information from the Navy.

A Navy helicopter out on a routine flight opted for an emergency landing Thursday, choosing a park in Chula Vista, according to a Fox5 San Diego report.

The helicopter landed in Terra Nova Park off Hidden Vista Drive next to Clear View Elementary School and a playground.

The crew was safe and no injuries were reported among the handful of people who were in the park at the time. It was closed as a precaution after the landing.

The MH-60R Seahawk landed in an area that also serves as the outfield for a baseball field at about 1:15 p.m. The helicopter is part of HSM Squadron 41 at Naval Air Station North Island, the report said.

Naval Air Station North Island's more than a dozen helicopter squadrons can be seen flying near San Diego Bay and other parts of South San Diego but train primarily in Coronado and Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach, said Naval Air Forces Commander Kevin Stephens.

Alex Noreiga said he heard and felt the helicopter fly over his home near the park before he went outside.

"I heard it coming but when I felt the thump, thump, thump I went outside," he said. "It came right over the house, saw it come over the trees and landed here coming in hot."

Veronica James comes to Terra Nova Park daily with her 3-year-old and 2-year-old twins.

"We got lucky," James told one of her children.

"This field, we have soccer here. We have baseball games," she said. "It was a blessing, the timing, that school wasn't out."

Lt. Aaron Kakiel of Naval Air Forces said military mechanics were called in to look over the aircraft and determine if it could be safely flown back to its base.

The crew was on a routine flight when a cockpit instrument indicated a possible malfunction, prompting the personnel to “land at the earliest safe opportunity,” according to Kakiel. 

The MH-60R also was involved in a December night-time hard landing at North Island. The crew was safe after the incident.

City News Service contributed to this report.