Helicopter crash-lands on busy US city street

Authorities said it was amazing no one was hurt after a helicopter came crashing down on a busy Honolulu street.

"It's a pretty miraculous situation," said Captain Terry Seelig, a spokesman for Honolulu Fire Department in Hawaii. "This is a pretty busy area."

The helicopter was on a photography flight when it lost power, forcing a crash landing in Fort Street, which is home to a large apartment complex and Hawaii Pacific University.

The area is usually full of students and office workers and has a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

The chopper ended up along a kerb, badly damaging a parked car.

A fire station is also in that street and firefighters who heard the crash dashed out to help.

The 30-year-old woman piloting the helicopter was uninjured, said Honolulu Emergency Services spokeswoman Shayne Enright. A 71-year-old man who was a passenger was treated at the scene for minor head injuries.

Capt Seelig said the chopper belonged to Mauna Loa Helicopters and preliminary information indicated the Robinson R22 Beta had engine failure, said Allen Kenitzer, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.