# Accident 20191023020369A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Las Vegas, NV, October 23, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 23, 2019, 16:00 local time
- Place: Las Vegas, NV
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unknown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.1469° N, 115.3817° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1469&lon=-115.3817&mi=10
- Aircraft: N225JM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N225JM-2022-02-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20FA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20FA013) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191023020369A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR20FA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20FA013), Oct 23, 2019: Robinson R44 (N225JM), Las Vegas, NV, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An undetermined inflight event that resulted in the pilot performing an autorotation to uneven terrain for reasons that could not be determined due to the extent of impact damage.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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