Dramatic footage shows a 1980 Bell 222SP helicopter that experienced a tail rotor failure ahead of a “Cars ‘N Copters” event at a parking lot between Twin Dolphins Drive and Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, California.
Several eyewitnesses captured the tail rotor failure that led to the mid-air incident involving the Bell 222SP from different angles on their smartphones and later posted the footage on social media.
NEW: Man nearly gets crushed by a helicopter that crashed in Huntington Beach, California.
“I was literally underneath the helicopter as it crashed. My life flashed before my eyes,” the man posted.
The helicopter crashed next to the Pacific Coast Highway near the bridge… pic.twitter.com/6d58umdRJA
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 11, 2025
A dramatic helicopter crash occurred in Huntington Beach. Five people were hospitalized—two occupants pulled from the wreckage and three pedestrians struck by the falling aircraft or debris.😳 🚁 pic.twitter.com/x74yj2CCFW
— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) October 12, 2025
A split second after the tail rotor malfunctioned, the helicopter spun out of control, unable to counteract the torque produced by the main rotor, and slammed into the side of a building. This appears to be a case of a tail rotor or tail rotor drive-shaft failure, with FAA investigators likely focusing on the tail rotor gearbox, pitch links, and drive-shaft integrity, as well as the hydraulic and control linkage systems.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 noted:
A Bell 222SP registered N222EX crashed today while participating in the Cars N’ Copters event in Huntington Beach, CA. The 2 people on board and 3 people on the ground were injured and taken to the hospital.
A Bell 222SP registered N222EX crashed today while participating in the Cars N’ Copters event in Huntington Beach, CA. The 2 people on board and 3 people on the ground were injured and taken to the hospital. Preliminary ADS-B data is available at https://t.co/PPi4eOW0WN pic.twitter.com/Qa1qfX0ViF
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 12, 2025
The Bell 222SP was made famous in the action-adventure series “Airwolf,” which aired on CBS from 1984 to 1986 and on USA Network in 1987 for its final season.
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