Here’s The Helicopter Behind The Horrifying Lakeside Restaurant Crash In Michigan

Helicopters — and the myths surrounding their crashes – were likely the last thing on the minds of patrons dining at the Cabana Blue Restaurant in St. Clair County, Michigan, last weekend. Unfortunately, a helicopter crash is exactly what happened on June 22, 2025, when horrified customers enjoying a quiet weekend lunch at the restaurant saw a small red helicopter lose control inside a parking lot adjacent to the restaurant.

According to The Detroit News, the accident happened at around 1 p.m. local time when the helicopter attempted what appeared to be a normal landing at a predetermined landing spot. Video footage of the incident shows the helicopter approach the landing area, everything seemingly normal, even making contact with the ground for a few seconds. Just when engines are supposed to power down and the rotors slow down, the helicopter abruptly lunges upwards, with its tail section going up first. Seconds later, the rotors hit the ground, throwing up dust and gravel into the air, as eyewitnesses panic.

Videos of the crash appeared on social media platforms within hours, with millions of people worldwide watching the shocking moment unfold. St. Clair County Emergency Director Justin Westmiller would later reveal that all four passengers aboard the ill-fated helicopter escaped with minor injuries, according to Times Now News.

Initial reports described the aircraft involved in the crash as a small, privately owned helicopter. It was soon revealed that the helicopter in question was a model called the Eurocopter EC-130 (also known as the Airbus H130). Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Agency has confirmed that it has instituted an inquiry to identify the cause of the crash.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, the helicopter involved in the Michigan crash was owned by Arrow Helicopters Inc. and bore the registration number C-GPVB, confirming Canadian origins. The helicopter seemingly goes by two different model numbers (EC-130 and H130) because the EC-130 is the aircraft’s old model number, but it was changed to H-130 after its manufacturer (Eurocopter) changed its name and became Airbus Helicopters, which also affected the company’s naming conventions.

The Airbus H130 is a versatile helicopter that can be used for sightseeing, emergency services, and general charter. It’s part of Airbus’ Ecureuil family of light helicopters and entered commercial service in 2001. Offered in various configurations, it has a maximum capacity of up to 7 passengers in addition to the pilot. Powered by a single Arriel 2D engine from Safran, the H130 can travel at speeds of up to 147 mph, making it substantially slower than the fastest civilian helicopters on the planet. The H130 has a range of up to 376 miles and is certified to fly at altitudes as high as 7,010 meters (23,000 feet).

Airbus has delivered more than 900 units of the aircraft to operators across the globe and estimates that there are a total of 467 operators that have the H130 in their fleet. This massive fleet has accumulated over 3.4 million hours of flight time by the end of 2024.