unknown unknown crash near Avalon, California, United States

A REACH Air Medical Services helicopter crashed into the ocean off Santa Catalina Island on September 30, 2024, shortly after takeoff from Pebbly Beach Seaplane Base, killing three of the five people on board. NTSB preliminary findings also revealed that a separate Mercy Air helicopter had struck the ocean twice approximately 45 seconds before the fatal crash, with the Mercy Air pilot citing difficulty maintaining visual references while using night-vision goggles over dark water.