Bell 222 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, October 4, 1998
On October 4, 1998 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Bell 222 (helicopter), registered N213ML, was destroyed in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 1998 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222 · all 222s on the register
- Registration
- N213ML · registry record · serial 47087
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,875 hours in all; 351 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 5,298 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,366 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 1998; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,850 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming LTS101-650C3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from LAS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.