A helicopter being used to survey powerlines crashed in a densely populated neighborhood in Waldorf, Maryland, on Sunday, narrowly missing homes and their residents. 

It was around 10 a.m. when the chopper narrowly missed several homes off of Carthage Court and crashed near a community pond. 

 “[I was] just baffled. It was very out of the ordinary,” one neighbor said. 

 Another said the boom of the crash sounded like a “truck collision.”

Brandon Kober was in his house when he heard what he thought was a lawn mower. Nothing could have prepared him for the view outside his window.

“The helicopter is just spinning down and crashing right in the grass through the fence here,” Kober said.  

He immediately ran outside to help. He said the three people inside were shaken up, but not seriously hurt.

“[I was in] shock. Like, my gosh. Making sure everyone’s OK, first and foremost. And then thank God it wasn’t any worse than what it was,” he said. 

Mike Taylor, who lives on the other side of the crash, recorded video of the scene. 

He was getting ready to go to the store with his son when “the sound got louder. It sounded like something was crashing. I happened to look and I saw the helicopter just before it touched the ground. It was a loud crash,” he said. 

Crew members told neighbors they were surveying powerlines in the area when they heard some sort of pop that caused a malfunction. 

A crew from the powerline inspection company, Haverfield Aviation, was at the scene. They declined to speak on camera, but did say they were grateful everyone was able to walk away from the crash and that the collision wasn’t more serious.

“Thank God. It could’ve been coming down straight on top of our house or into the side of another house. My kid could’ve been here. My wife could’ve been here. It could’ve come down while I was up there and who knows,” Kober said. 

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is collecting the wreckage and moving it to an inspection facility in Delaware.