Riverside, Ca- Air-1, the Riverside Police Department helicopter, made a precautionary emergency landing last night in Mira Loma after a warning light came on while responding to a urgent request for assistance from a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy in Norco.

The City of Riverside helicopter was headed to a Sheriff’s call on Hamner Avenue in Norco in response to an occupied stolen vehicle at 6:35 p.m., and had just crossed the Santa Ana River, when an “Engine Chips” warning light on the helicopter illuminated, meaning that a sensor inside the engine detected a loose metal chip.

According to emergency procedure, the two-officer crew made a precautionary landing at the nearest available safe location, a lighted parking lot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the corner of 60th Street and Serendipity Road in Mira Loma.

A Riverside Police helicopter mechanic was summoned from home to inspect the engine sensors. A very small amount of extremely fine metal residue was found on one of the sensors, which is not unusual following a significant engine repair. The freshly overhauled engine was recently installed in Air-1.

“It is important to remember that the aircraft warning system worked as designed. The light is a precautionary warning system and as a result the pilot took appropriate action,” said Capt. Mike Blakely, Commander of Special Operations.

The sensor was cleaned, the engine was tested and the helicopter returned to normal service at about 9 p.m.