Two officers on board a police helicopter walked away with minor scratches after it crashed at Washburn University on Friday night, according to Topeka Police Chief Ron Miller.

The year-old Robinson R-44 helicopter went down around midnight Friday, sustaining heavy damage, Miller said. It was unclear what caused the crash.

It is the third police helicopter crash in Topeka history. In 2000, two officers were killed in West Topeka, and in the 1970s a pilot was killed in a crash near downtown.

Miller said the helicopter could be a huge loss for the city, particularly after Mayor Bill Bunten vetoed purchase of a second Robinson helicopter.