An aviation influencer known for his death-defying stunts has been identified as the owner, pilot and one of five people injured when a helicopter crashed in Huntington Beach, according to media reports Sunday.

Jerry Miller of Redlands confirmed in a telephone call that his son-in-law, Eric Nixon, was piloting the helicopter when it crashed, the Orange County Register reported.

“He’s in the hospital with some broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and several bruises,” Miller told the Register.

The Mirror US described Nixon as “a self-styled aviation enthusiast known to thousands online for his heart-stopping stunts – [who] has spent years posting footage of himself performing jaw-dropping maneuvers across the skies of the American West.”

Other reports noted Nixon’s affinity “for operating at

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