What happened
On October 11, 2025, at 14:01 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 222, registration N222EX, was involved in an accident near Huntington Beach, California. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use. The pilot and a passenger departed from Redlands, California, intending to land in a parking lot for a large public event.
During the approach, the pilot performed a high-speed pass above the Pacific Coast Highway, followed by a slow pass. As the helicopter descended toward the parking lot from the southeast, the pilot attempted a small right pedal input to straighten the aircraft. At that moment, the nose veered left, and a loud noise was heard from the rear left side of the helicopter. The pilot attempted to turn right and increase power to clear the confined landing area, but as the right turn rate increased, the pilot lost control of the aircraft.
Witness documentation showed that while the high-speed pass appeared normal, a tail rotor pitch link had disconnected from a tail rotor blade during the slow pass. As the aircraft ascended and turned, pieces of the tail rotor assembly began to separate. The tail rotor gearbox split in half, with the output side remaining attached to the tail rotor assembly. The helicopter continued to spin to the right before impacting a staircase at the end of a pedestrian bridge.
There were 2 serious injuries to the occupants of the helicopter and 3 persons on the ground involved in the accident, including 1 person with serious injuries and 2 persons with minor injuries. No fatalities occurred.