Eric Nixon, helicopter owner in Huntington Beach crash, is a daredevil known for death-defying stunts

The helicopter pilot who spun wildly out of and crashed at a California beach was a daredevil influencer known for his death-defying air stunts.

Eric Nixon was flying his Bell 22SP chopper when it crashed Saturday afternoon, injuring him, his female passenger and three people on the ground, including a child, his father-in-law, Jerry Miller, confirmed to the Orange County Register.

“He’s in the hospital with some broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and several bruises,” Miller told the local outlet of his son-in-law.

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“But I’m sorry, we have some things going on,” he said before hanging up.

Nixon’s helicopter crashed as it was coming in to land during Saturday’s “Cars ‘N Copters” event in Huntington Beach.

A child and two adults were injured on the ground. Their conditions are unknown.

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Nixon’s Instagram account confirmed Sunday that “pilot and passenger are safe,” adding that the pair were “being transported to a medical facility to get checked out.” The woman with him was not otherwise identified.

The chopper was flying to join the flashy display of exotic cars and private helicopters on the waterfront when it appeared to lose control, plunging to the ground in front of horrified onlookers.

Moments earlier, it had swooped down in front of spectators in a dramatic stunt, and was no more than a couple of hundred feet up when it began to spiral out of control, according to one spectator.

“They had just done a couple fly-bys and circled back around,” aviation photographer Roy Rausch, who was filming the landing, told the Orange County Register.

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“It was just above the landing spot. It had already done just an impressive fly-by by the crowd up at the Hilton there. It was the closest I’ve ever seen a helicopter fly to that crowd. So it was really kind of performing for the crowd.”

Many in the crowd initially thought the chopper was performing a stunt as it plummeted to the ground. 

“It was spinning weird. I’m like, ‘Hmm, I wonder if it’s doing a trick.’ Then, I saw it spinning even faster, and I’m like, ‘Nope, that thing is crashing,’” onlooker Jackson Etchert, who was standing on a bridge just 100 feet from the crash, told the Orange County Register.

“First the tail rotor snapped. Next thing I know I see something looked like it hit the main rotor blade,” he added.

Hazmat crews from Huntington Beach and Anaheim Fire and Rescue were scrambled to the scene on Saturday.

The Cars ‘N Copters event is still scheduled to take place on Sunday, Carson said.