On November 6, 2020, a medical helicopter carrying a donated human heart crashed on the rooftop helipad of Keck Hospital of USC in Los Angeles — and what happened next was almost too dramatic to believe.
The AgustaWestland A109 helicopter, operated by Helinet Aviation, had taken off from Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, San Diego, transporting the heart to a patient waiting for a transplant at Keck. At around 3:15 p.m., the aircraft began spinning just before touchdown, hit the roof hard, and flipped onto its side.
Three people were on board — the pilot and two medical personnel. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The two medics walked away without serious harm. No one inside the hospital was hurt.
Then came the next problem. Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to cut into the wreckage and retrieve the heart. Once freed, the organ was handed off to a doctor on the roof — who then tripped on a metal disc attached to the helipad surface and dropped it, sending the bagged heart rolling across the floor.
Staff quickly recovered it a second time. Medical teams examined the heart and confirmed it was still in usable condition. The transplant surgery went ahead as planned, and the recipient recovered well.
Cardiac surgeon Dr. Mark Cunningham, who performed the operation, said the team showed quick thinking and steadfast dedication to patient care to pull off the best possible outcome from the incident.
A donated heart can only survive four to six hours outside the body. Despite a helicopter crash and being dropped twice, this one made it — and so did the patient.
