# NTSB LAX99FA003: Bell 222, N213ML, Las Vegas, NV, October 4, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Field investigation · Final report - Date: October 4, 1998, 15:55 local (22:55 UTC) - Place: Las Vegas, NV - Coordinates: 36.249008, -115.039878 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2490&lon=-115.0399&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 3 minor, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report June 21, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 44136 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX99FA003 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/44136/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99FA003 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to ensure that both throttles were in the takeoff position. Factors were the pilot's decision to takeoff with a tailwind, and his lack of recurrent emergency procedure training in this helicopter. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, takeoff - weather condition - tailwind - throttle/power control - improper use of, pilot in command (cause) - inadequate recurrent training, pilot in command (contributing factor) - preflight planning/preparation - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Roll over, emergency landing ## Analysis 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. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 4, 1998, at 1555 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bell 222 helicopter, N213ML, entered a descent and collided with the ground during takeoff at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada. The helicopter was destroyed. The commercial pilot was not injured, and his pilot rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was owned and operated by Action Helicopter Service Center, under 14 CFR Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated from the owner's home at 1300 to attend the race being run at the Motor Speedway, and the helicopter was departing for the return to the residence. The pilot reported to the Safety Board that he made a normal liftoff to a hover and checked the gauges, which appeared to be normal. He said he then began to takeoff and checked the MGT gauge (measured gas temperature for each engine's operating limits.) He stated that the left No. 1 gauge was "peaked." He pulled in collective to clear the parked cars in the parking lot to reach an open area. After clearing the cars, the helicopter bounced landed, bounced, rolled over, and came to rest on its left side. There were numerous eyewitnesses to the crash. Witnesses indicated that the helicopter lifted off to the north, "barely missing the palm trees." Some witnesses indicated that the helicopter's attitude pitched forward and side to side, other's stated it was hovering erratically, appeared to lose power, and spun 180 degrees and tilted forward before the main rotor contacted the ground. The Chief of Security at the track stated that the aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and that he didn't think the aircraft got above the top of the three-story administration building. He said the helicopter was heading northeast towards the handicapped parking lot. He stated he observed the back of the helicopter turn left and then right and its nose started going down like he was going to land in the handicapped lot. Another eyewitness who was working at the track performing traffic and parking functions said the aircraft ascended about 20 feet before it was blown towards the street away from the administration building. He said the aircraft was moving sideways and it looked like the aircraft was going to land in the handicapped parking lot. He stated that "it appeared that the wind got him as he cleared the building." He said that the winds were from the south and he had observed the signs in the parking lot being blown over to the north. Another eyewitness said that the aircraft got to the height of the administration building and then appeared to come forward before it began to move around like it was fighting the wind. By then she said the aircraft had drifted toward the road and she watched it "wiggle side to side." PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot was sitting in the right seat at the time of the accident. He reported that he had accrued about 5,875 total flight hours, of which 351 hours were in the Bell 222. He reported that he had flown 43 hours in the preceding 90 days, and 26 hours in the preceding 30 days. According to the aircraft logbook, N213ML had flown a total of 11.0 hours during calendar year 1998. The company also owns a sister ship, N212ML, which reportedly flew about the same amount of time. The mechanic on the aircraft reported that the two ships had a combined flight time of less than 25 hours a year. The pilot also has a Bell 206L-4, which he reportedly flew approximately 125 hours a year. The pilot-rated passenger in the left seat said that she was not current in the aircraft, and had assumed no flying duties other than helping the pilot perform the checklist items during normal operations. Training records for the pilot, obtained from Bell Helicopter Textron in Ft. Worth, Texas, were reviewed. The pilot had completed a biennial flight review in accordance with 14 CFR Part 61.56 on June 6, 1998, in a Bell 206L-4 with the Director of the Bell Helicopter Customer Training Center. The flight time noted on the training sheet was 1.2 hours, with the remark "excellent pilot in all areas of flight." The pilot had flown with the same Bell pilot on November 11, 1997, for 2.0 hours. This flight was also conducted in the Bell 206L-4. Bell flight records were reviewed for the preceding 2 years from the date of the accident. No record was found that the pilot had flown with any Bell helicopter pilot in any Bell 222 helicopter during this timeframe. Additionally, Flight Safety International, Ft. Worth, was contacted and they have no record of the pilot ever attending their Bell 222 ground school or simulator course. The Director of the Bell Helicopter Customer Training Center was interviewed and he mentioned that he did fly with the pilot in the Bell 222, but that the flights were "not training flights." According to their training records, the pilot flew his initial aircraft checkout in a Bell 222 on October 29 and 30, 1993. During this checkout totaling 6.4 hours of flight time, the instructor pilot noted "all maneuvers were above average for time in all aircraft." Safety Board investigators were unable to find any documented evidence that the pilot was proficient in any emergency maneuvers in the Bell 222. After the accident, the Director of the Bell Helicopter Customer Training Center said at the pilot's request, he conducted a short flight manual review followed by a 1.4-hour flight review in the Bell 222 aircraft, and provided a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the pilot's skills. According to the letter, all maneuvers including preflight, starting procedures, normal and maximum performance takeoffs and one engine-out procedure were performed satisfactorily. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Documents and records reviewed by the Safety Board disclosed that Action Helicopters acquired the aircraft on September 6, 1995. At that time, the aircraft had accrued a total time since new of 2,519 hours, with 575 hours since overhaul. The aircraft was powered by two Lycoming LTS101-650C3 engines, which were rated at 600 horsepower each. According to the records, engine number one (left) had a total time of 2,584.8 hours and entries documented compliance with all applicable Airworthiness Directives (AD's). The number 2 engine (right) had a total of 2,580 hours and entries showed compliance with all applicable AD's. There was no evidence of compliance with all recommended engine Service Bulletins (SB), including Service Bulletin LTS101-72-00-189, which would have allowed verification of the availability of the specified One Engine Inoperative (OEI) power. A complete summary of the AD and SB history is appended to this report, and is included in the Test and Teardown Report of Two Model LTS101-650C-3 Turboshaft Engines by Allied Signal Aerospace. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION Weather observations were taken at the adjacent Nellis Air Force Base (KLSV), at 1555. The METAR reported winds 150 degrees at 07 knots; overcast clouds at 11,000 feet; broken clouds at 25,000 feet; 40 statute miles visibility; temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 41 degrees Fahrenheit; and an altimeter setting of 29.92 inHg. The owner of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway stated that the winds were usually gusty and variable depending on where you were located on the property. On October 6, he provided the Safety Board with a diagram of the winds as they were viewed on the track's various video cameras, which were located throughout the property. A diagram of the wind direction is appended to this report. The winds were observed to be generally coming from the south. The wind around the administration building resulted in quartering tailwinds for the departing helicopter. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION When the Safety Board inve ## Aircraft - Registration: [N213ML](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N213ML-2013-08-19), registration cancelled 2013-08-19, S/N 47087 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell 222 - Registry model: [Bell 222](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-222) (registry code 1182122) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 47087 - Airframe hours: 3366 - Engines: Lycoming LTS101-650C3 650 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Action Helicopter Service Cent - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 24, 1998, 10 hours before ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 69; commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 5,875 total, 351 in this make and model, 5,298 as pilot in command, 43 in the last 90 days, 26 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 7 knots - Visibility: 40 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 11,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 41 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: LAS, 1 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19981004027929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981004027929A), Oct 4, 1998: Bell 222, Las Vegas, NV, Destroyed. 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… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.