What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine failed and the acft crashed and rolled over. (.19)on October 4, 1998, at 1555 hours pacific daylight time, a Bell 222, N213ML, collided with the ground following a loss of engine power on the number one engine during takeoff at the Las Vegas motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada. The aircraft was destroyed during the ground impact sequence. The commercial pilot was not injured, and his pilot rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to action helicopter service center, which is the operator of the helicopter. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. (.4) the pilot was departing from a confined area surrounded by tall obstacles from 50 to 60 feet in height. The direction the helicopter faced put the prevailing winds from the rear quadrants. Witnesses saw the helicopter liftoff to the north, barely missing nearby palm trees. The eyewitnesses said the helicopter was hovering erratically, and that the tail of the helicopter was moving side to side, as if the pilot was fighting the wind. The helicopter did not climb above the height of the three-story administration building. The helicopter bounced landed, bounced , rolled over, and came to rest on its left side. The left engine throttle was found rolled to the full on position, while the right engine throttle was less than the full on position. Postaccident tests of both engines revealed no abnormalities with their performance. An attempt was made to duplicate the takeoff conditions using a 222 simulator, with a throttle split and tailwind condition set up in the simulator. In two of the scenarios the pilot was unable to successfully fly out of the condition and crashed with a high rate of descent. The pilot's training records indicated that he had not attended a proficiency or emergency procedure course in the Bell 222. All previous training flights were conducted in a Bell 206. Each engine was calculated to be capable of producing 494 shp. An engineering analysis concluded that in a single engine situation, insufficient power would be available to hover; with the power output of one engine reduced, out-of-ground-effect hover capability was not available.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE FAILED AND THE ACFT CRASHED AND ROLLED OVER. (.19)ON OCTOBER 4, 1998, AT 1555 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 222, N213ML, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE DURING TAKEOFF AT THE LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED DURING THE GROUND IMPACT SEQUENCE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND HIS PILOT RATED PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO ACTION HELICOPTER SERVICE CENTER, WHICH IS THE OPERATOR OF THE HELICOPTER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4) THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING FROM A CONFINED AREA SURROUNDED BY TALL OBSTACLES FROM 50 TO 60 FEET IN HEIGHT. THE DIRECTION THE HELICOPTER FACED PUT THE PREVAILING WINDS FROM THE REAR QUADRANTS. WITNESSES SAW THE HELICOPTER LIFTOFF TO THE NORTH, BARELY MISSING NEARBY PALM TREES. THE EYEWITNESSES SAID THE HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING ERRATICALLY, AND THAT THE TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER WAS MOVING SIDE TO SIDE, AS IF THE PILOT WAS FIGHTING THE WIND. THE HELICOPTER DID NOT CLIMB ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF THE THREE-STORY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED LANDED, BOUNCED , ROLLED OVER, AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE LEFT ENGINE THROTTLE WAS FOUND ROLLED TO THE FULL ON POSITION, WHILE THE RIGHT ENGINE THROTTLE WAS LESS THAN THE FULL ON POSITION. POSTACCIDENT TESTS OF BOTH ENGINES REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DUPLICATE THE TAKEOFF CONDITIONS USING A 222 SIMULATOR, WITH A THROTTLE SPLIT AND TAILWIND CONDITION SET UP IN THE SIMULATOR. IN TWO OF THE SCENARIOS THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY FLY OUT OF THE CONDITION AND CRASHED WITH A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THE PILOT'S TRAINING RECORDS INDICATED THAT HE HAD NOT ATTENDED A PROFICIENCY OR EMERGENCY PROCEDURE COURSE IN THE BELL 222. ALL PREVIOUS TRAINING FLIGHTS WERE CONDUCTED IN A BELL 206. EACH ENGINE WAS CALCULATED TO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 494 SHP. AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT IN A SINGLE ENGINE SITUATION, INSUFFICIENT POWER WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO HOVER; WITH THE POWER OUTPUT OF ONE ENGINE REDUCED, OUT-OF-GROUND-EFFECT HOVER CAPABILITY WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.