FRENCH VALLEY -- A small helicopter crashed Thursday, March 20, while maneuvering near French Valley Airport, leaving the pilot with minor injuries and causing a fuel spill that activated a hazardous materials response, authorities said.
The crash was reported around 1 p.m. in the area of Auld and Briggs roads, at the north end of the airport's perimeter, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department. Emergency crews and sheriff’s deputies found the helicopter in a vacant area with damage described as "moderate." There was no fire reported following the crash.
The pilot, the sole occupant of the rotorcraft, sustained minor injuries. Paramedics on the scene treated him, but he declined transportation to a hospital. Officials did not release his identity.
Approximately 10 gallo
