What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 23, 2019, at approximately 1602 PST, the Nevada flight standards district office received notification of a general aviation crash involving N255JM, a Robinson R-44 helicopter, which crashed under unknown circumstances adjacent to a roadway near the red rock canyon national conservation area, near Las Vegas, Nevada.
The helicopter impacted desert terrain adjacent to Nevada state route 159. The crash site was spread over several hundred feet on both sides of the highway. An investigation of the scene revealed that the helicopter impacted the terrain in a nose high attitude initially causing the tail skid and tail rotor blades to strike the ground. The helicopter continued across desert and rocky terrain for approximately 187 feet and rotated 180 degrees to the right before coming to a rest. There was no sign of fire at the scene and the helicopter was destroyed in the crash. Weather was clear at the time of the crash and not believed to be a factor.
There were two people onboard the aircraft and both were transported to a local trauma center where the pilot died shortly thereafter. The passenger was admitted to the intensive care unit with severe fractures of the extremities and head, as well as internal injuries. He was placed on life support and later succumbed to his injuries.
The crash scene was photographed by the Las Vegas metropolitan police department crime scene investigation unit, who took extensive ground and aerial photos from a helicopter. The civil air patrol flew an aerial mapping mission with a UAV and produced a 3D reconstruction map of the crash site.
NTSB responded to the scene on 10/24/2019, along with representatives from Robinson helicopters and Lycoming. A tear down examination of the wreckage was completed on 10/26/2019. A foreign substance was found in a fuel sample taken from the gascolator, but there was no sign of fuel blockage throughout the fuel system. It was discovered that one of the two main rotor RPM sender magnets was missing from its housing and was located attached to part of the support assembly. It was unknown at the time of the examination if the magnet separated from its housing due to impact with the terrain.
To be amended at a later date.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 23, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 1602 PST, THE NEVADA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A GENERAL AVIATION CRASH INVOLVING N255JM, A ROBINSON R-44 HELICOPTER, WHICH CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES ADJACENT TO A ROADWAY NEAR THE RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA, NEAR LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.
THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED DESERT TERRAIN ADJACENT TO NEVADA STATE ROUTE 159. THE CRASH SITE WAS SPREAD OVER SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SCENE REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE INITIALLY CAUSING THE TAIL SKID AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED ACROSS DESERT AND ROCKY TERRAIN FOR APPROXIMATELY 187 FEET AND ROTATED 180 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT BEFORE COMING TO A REST. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FIRE AT THE SCENE AND THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED IN THE CRASH. WEATHER WAS CLEAR AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND NOT BELIEVED TO BE A FACTOR.
THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND BOTH WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL TRAUMA CENTER WHERE THE PILOT DIED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE PASSENGER WAS ADMITTED TO THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT WITH SEVERE FRACTURES OF THE EXTREMITIES AND HEAD, AS WELL AS INTERNAL INJURIES. HE WAS PLACED ON LIFE SUPPORT AND LATER SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES.
THE CRASH SCENE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION UNIT, WHO TOOK EXTENSIVE GROUND AND AERIAL PHOTOS FROM A HELICOPTER. THE CIVIL AIR PATROL FLEW AN AERIAL MAPPING MISSION WITH A UAV AND PRODUCED A 3D RECONSTRUCTION MAP OF THE CRASH SITE.
NTSB RESPONDED TO THE SCENE ON 10/24/2019, ALONG WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM ROBINSON HELICOPTERS AND LYCOMING. A TEAR DOWN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE WAS COMPLETED ON 10/26/2019. A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE WAS FOUND IN A FUEL SAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE GASCOLATOR, BUT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FUEL BLOCKAGE THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE TWO MAIN ROTOR RPM SENDER MAGNETS WAS MISSING FROM ITS HOUSING AND WAS LOCATED ATTACHED TO PART OF THE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY. IT WAS UNKNOWN AT THE TIME OF THE EXAMINATION IF THE MAGNET SEPARATED FROM ITS HOUSING DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN.
TO BE AMENDED AT A LATER DATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.