Freeway lanes were shut down after a helicopter made an emergency landing in South Los Angeles Thursday night.

The helicopter touched down on the southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway, just north of the 105 Freeway interchange at around 8:30 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Three people, including the pilot, were aboard the small chopper when it made the emergency landing. They were able to exit the aircraft without injuries, authorities said.

The aircraft, a 2011 Robinson R44 II, took off from the Hawthorne Airport at 7:35 p.m.

The pilot, Bruce Kafil, told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo he was taking a couple on an aerial tour of the city when they suddenly experienced power loss.

“I instructed my passengers to get out right away because I feared a possible collision from oncoming traffic,” Kafil recalled. “I had [the couple] go as far south as we reasonably could but the main rotor blade was still spinning and it made contact with a bus.”

A SigAlert that shut down all southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway was later lifted.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene and worked to remove the downed helicopter. At least one of the helicopter’s blades appeared damaged.

Crews were seen lifting the chopper with a crane and placing it onto the flatbed of a tow truck.

“There were motorists on the road at the time of the incident,” said CHP officer Bobby Eurin. “Officers did respond swiftly to stop traffic to avoid a major injury collision. It’s not every day that you see a helicopter land on the freeway.”

“We landed safely,” Kafil said with relief. “Everybody walked away. I’m very happy to be alive and to have my passengers as well.”

No injuries were reported from the incident. Traffic was backed up for miles as authorities worked to clear the scene.

Republican Senate candidates are gaining on their Democratic counterparts in new polling of competitive races, closing the support gaps in top contests that will decide which party holds control of the Senate and by how large of a majority. 

Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, tied longtime Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., in top battleground state Pennsylvania, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.

Casey’s advantages of being an incumbent and having a well known family with deep roots in Pennsylvania showed signs of faltering against McCormick’s campaign in the survey, with the two neck and neck at 46% each. 

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Sen. Bob Casey Jr., left, and Dave McCormick are tied in Pennsylvania, according to a new poll. (AP/ Reuters)

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Previous polling has shown McCormick trailing Casey to varying degrees, as analysts noted a name identification struggle for the former. 

However, with less than 10 weeks until the general election, it appears voters — especially those in top battleground state Pennsylvania — are tuning in, and those who lean Republican are getting behind McCormick’s bid. 

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Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick spoke to voters at the event. (Fox News)

Pennsylvania is not the only state where GOP contenders are getting closer to their opponents. In Arizona, former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake presented a challenge to Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., in the new poll, finishing only three percentage points behind him, 47% to 44%. 

GOP candidates Eric Hovde in Wisconsin and former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan each also held their Democratic opponents’ leads to single digits. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., beat Hovde in the survey, 51% to 45%, while Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., managed to defeat Rogers, 47% to 41%. 

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Kari Lake ran for governor of Arizona in 2022. (Getty Images)

In Nevada, Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown registered 10 points behind Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who garnered 50% as she battles to hold onto her seat in the swing state. 

The tightening races across the board come as GOP strategists have predicted that average voters will begin paying attention and throwing their support behind GOP candidates with the election nearing. 

MICHIGAN BECOMES TOP GOP SENATE TARGET AS MIKE ROGERS TIES WITH DEM OPPONENT AMONG OLDER VOTERS

The Michigan Senate race between Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers is more competitive than initially predicted.  (Associated Press)

The Senate contests in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada are still considered “Lean Democratic” by a top non-partisan political handicapper, the Cook Political Report. 

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The handicapper rated Michigan’s race as a “Toss Up” with the best chance of going Republican come election day. 

The tied Senate match-up in Pennsylvania is particularly significant as strategists believe incumbent Casey will be tethered to Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris with the strongest intensity, meaning her performance in the battleground will weigh heavily to pull him up or drag him down. 

In the latest CNN poll, former President Donald Trump and Harris were also tied at 47% each. 

The poll surveyed 4,398 registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and queried them both online by telephone between August 23 and August 29. The margins of error were +/- 4.7% in Pennsylvania and Arizona, +/- 4.9% in Michigan and Nevada, and +/- 4.4% in Wisconsin. 

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Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner. 

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.

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Authorities confirmed the bodies that were found beneath a murder suspect’s Redlands home belonged to missing couple Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79.

The San Bernardino County Coroner’s office confirmed the news on Thursday after the couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, 62, was arrested and charged with the couple’s murder.

The Menards were first reported missing on Aug. 24 when their friends said they failed to show up for church. 

Inside the couple’s home, located at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort, their personal items such as cell phones and purses were found. Their abandoned vehicle was parked just down the road from their house with the keys still inside. Their dog, a small white Shih Tzu, was also missing.

On Aug. 29, authorities descended on the nudist ranch and began searching for Sparks who was believed to be hiding on property grounds. 

After police were tipped off about where the couple’s bodies might be located, authorities surrounded Sparks’ home. He had barricaded himself with a rifle inside, prompting police to use a drone and then a battering ram to tear through and destroy the house.  

Sparks was eventually found hiding in a cement bunker beneath his home, in the same location where a cadaver dog alerted officers to bags stuffed with human remains.  

Authorities said Sparks attempted to take his own life moments before he was captured, but his rifle misfired. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody. 

Neighbors told KTLA that the suspect and the elderly couple had been neighbors for years and had an ongoing feud. One of the disputes reportedly involved a tree between their properties.  

“He was mad because Dan cut some tree limbs on a tree that belonged to him and he has held a grudge ever since then,” said Tammie Wilkerson, a neighbor. “I know he didn’t like the Menards. He said it many times that he hated them. But I never thought he would do something like this.”

Details on how the couple was killed or a possible motive behind their murder remains under investigation.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson and Redlands Chief of Police Rachel Tolber thanked the community for their assistance on the case.

“You have a community that, for all intents and purposes that we’ve seen throughout the week, is a tight-knit community,” Anderson said. “Obviously, people were very concerned about the Menards. There have been vigils that have been held there.”

“I’m very thankful for all of the partners, including our community, that were able to come together to see the investigation through to fruition,” Tolber added.

Sparks was charged with two felony counts of murder. He remains in custody and is expected to appear in court later this week.