LAPD

What: Los Angeles Police Department helicopter
Where: Van Nuys Airport
When: April 24 2011, 6:00 am
Who: officers aboard
Why: In the San Fernando Valley near Saticoy Street and Densmore, gunfire struck the helicopter, which began smoking and leaking fuel. No one aboard the helicopter was hit.

The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing; at least one report said the chopper landed with a dead engine. The helicopter made an emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport, making an “auto-rotation” to land on the apron at a charter jet service, Clay Lacy Aviation. The helicopter was put aboard a flat-bed truck to be transported to Hooper Air Station for investigation.

The shooter was tracked down and arrested at his home and in possession of a semi-automatic rifle. The arrest was made at 7:10 a.m near Cohasset Street and Gloria Avenue. No one was injured. The shooter was reportedly distraught over the death of a friend.

* An autorotation is landing without a engine power. The airspeed of the descent turns the rotors fast enough to provide lift for a safe landing.