New Details Emerge on Deadly HB Helicopter Crash

Law enforcement officials investigate the crash site of a Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter that crashed into Newport Harbor on the night of Feb. 19, 2022. Newport Beach, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has provided new details of the fatal crash in Newport Beach last month that killed Huntington Beach Police Department Officer Nicholas Vella.

The initial report issued Wednesday detailed how Villa and the pilot were on a routine patrol over Newport Beach about 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19 when they responded to a dispatch of a fight. The two flew over the area of the scrum and turned on an infrared camera.