Huntington Beach chopper crash: What we know about the 1980 Bell 222 helicopter – first details out

A 1980 Bell 222 helicopter (tail number N222EX), owned by aviation influencer Eric Nixon, crashed in the Southern California city of Huntington Beach.

Published on: Oct 12, 2025, 06:00:54 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A 1980 Bell 222 helicopter (tail number N222EX), owned by aviation influencer Eric Nixon, crashed in the Southern California city of Huntington Beach in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, October 11, leading to five people being hospitalized. In the aftermath of the tragedy, many are curious about the chopper that was involved.

The crash took place just after 2 pm local time near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street, Huntington Beach firefighters confirmed, as reported by CBS News. City officials told the outlet that the two people were safely rescued from the wreckage of the crash. Three pedestrians were also injured in the incident. All five were hospitalized.

What we know about the 1980 Bell 222 helicopter

According to FlightAware, the 1980 BELL 222 Rotorcraft has 10 seats/2 engines. It weighs 12,500-19,999 lbs and has a speed of 172 mph. The registry source is FAA. According to Aircraft.com, the “1980 Bell 222SP (N222EX) has 1845 total flight hours, 970 engine hours, dual controls, rotor brake, and a Garmin GNS530. It has 6-place club seating.”

As police began investigating the crash, they closed PCH between Huntington Street and Beach Boulevard at around 3 pm. People were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes for several hours after the closure was announced.

After the crash, scattered debris was visible in the beach access parking lot. A large part of the area had been blocked off by police tape. While the chopper’s tail broke off in the crash, the rest of the aircraft was still wedged between the staircase and palm trees as of 4:30 pm. As of now, it remains unclear what caused the chopper to crash.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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