Helicopter makes an emergency landing at Kmart

A pilot waves as his helicopter takes off from the Kmart parking lot in Redwood City on Saturday (March 24). The copter was forced to land there because of mechanical problems. Photo courtesy of the Redwood City Police Department.

No one was injured Saturday when a helicopter made an emergency landing in a Kmart parking lot in Redwood City about two miles from the San Carlos airport, Redwood City police said.

The civilian helicopter was bound for the San Carlos airport at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday when the pilot reported a minor mechanical issue and made a “safe, controlled landing” in the parking lot of the Kmart store on Veterans Boulevard, police said.

Mechanics from the San Carlos airport came to the scene, and made repairs allowing the copter to resume its trip at about 6:25 p.m., police said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified of the emergency landing, police said.