MIAMI, Feb 20, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Two people were hospitalized Saturday after
the helicopter they were flying in crashed into the ocean off a beach in the
US state of Florida.

   Miami Beach police said on Twitter they received a call about the crash at
1:10 pm (1810 GMT).

   "Police and @MiamiBeachFire responded to the scene along with several
partner agencies," the tweet said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
has also responded to the crash.

   "There were three passengers onboard. Two were transported to the
hospital," police said, adding the two were in "stable condition."

   A video posted alongside the tweet shows a helicopter falling into the
Atlantic Ocean, not far from people swimming or sunbathing on the crowded
beach. Mary Schiavo, the former inspector general of the US Department of
Transportation, said on CNN that the video showed the helicopter appearing to
lose engine power.

   "There were two important things at work here," she said. "One, the pilot
was trained... And two, was able to maintain some control of the aircraft
because it appears that once you lose your engines, you have nowhere to go
but hopefully a controlled trajectory down."

   She said that watching the video, it appeared the pilot was able to steer
away from beachgoers even as the helicopter fell.

   The FAA told CNN in a statement that the helicopter crashed under "unknown
circumstances."

   The aviation authority said it would investigate the accident along with
the National Transportation Safety Board.