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Military Helicopter Makes Emergency Crash Landing in Lake Havasu City Parking Lot, Both Pilots Walk Away
Both pilots walked away and were taken to Havasu Regional Medical Center after firefighters contained a fuel leak, officials said.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, a Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper crash-landed near the Windsor launch ramp in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, with both pilots self-extricating from the wreckage.
The AH-1Z Viper was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303, based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California, roughly 200 miles from the crash site.
Firefighters contained a fuel leak at Windsor Beach using firefighting foam, while the U.S. Marine Corps reported the two pilots were evaluated for "non-life-threatening" injuries at Havasu Regional Medical Center.
Military personnel are investigating the cause of the 10:14 p.m. mishap, and the Marine Corps stated additional information will be released when available.
Other incidents involving this helicopter type have occurred in the past two years, including an October 2025 crash in Imperial County, California, that killed pilot Tyler R. Braconi.