[kellyhound]

On October 11, 2025, a dramatic helicopter crash occurred in Huntington Beach, California, about 40 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

The incident unfolded around 2:00 p.m. local time in a busy beach parking lot near the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), specifically between Twin Dolphins Drive and Beach Boulevard, across from several hotels including the Waterfront Beach Resort and Hyatt Regency.

The crash happened in front of stunned beachgoers and sunbathers, with no fatalities reported but five people hospitalized, including two onboard the helicopter and three pedestrians injured by debris or the impact.

The event drew immediate attention due to bystander videos capturing the mid-air spin, and it disrupted local traffic, with PCH closed between Beach Boulevard and Huntington Street for several hours.

The Helicopter and PilotThe aircraft was a 1980 Bell 222 twin-engine helicopter, registered as N222EX, owned by Nixon Helicopters and piloted by Eric Nixon, a 50-year-old Orange County resident known as a "daredevil" aviator.

Nixon, who has over 20 years of experience, is famous on social media for low-altitude stunts, such as flying mere feet above the desert floor toward oncoming trucks or skimming over Huntington Beach waves.

The helicopter, equipped with a Rolls-Royce 250-C30G turboshaft engine (650 horsepower) and capable of speeds up to 172 mph, had logged under 1,900 flight hours and featured modern Garmin navigation and dual controls.

The helicopter was in the area for preparations related to the annual "Cars 'N Copters" fundraising event, a charity showcase of exotic cars and private helicopters benefiting the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation, scheduled for the following day (October 12).

It was reportedly landing or maneuvering low over the beachfront when it suddenly lost control.

Eyewitness videos show the chopper flying at low altitude (around 20-50 feet), emitting a loud "pop pop" or "ping" sound, then spiraling clockwise uncontrollably, ascending briefly before plummeting.

It struck a pedestrian bridge, collided with palm trees, and came to rest wedged between trees and a staircase near PCH, with blades shearing off and debris scattering across the highway.

One video captured the rotor nearly striking a man on the ground, who ducked just in time.

Injuries and ResponseOnboard: The pilot (Eric Nixon) and one passenger were safely extracted from the wreckage by first responders. Their conditions are unknown but described as non-life-threatening initially.

Ground Injuries: Three pedestrians, including a child, were hurt by flying debris or shrapnel, one possibly struck directly.

All five were transported to nearby hospitals in stable but unknown conditions as of October 12 morning.

Huntington Beach Police and Fire Departments arrived within minutes, alongside FAA investigators who examined the site that evening. The wreckage remained in the palms for hours post-crash.

[DarkSighted]

Lost tail rotor. Lose that (or really, almost anything else on a helicopter) and you are coming down and it's not gonna be pretty. If you're SUPER-close to the ground already, survival is a bit more possible as the frame spins faster and faster 'til something hard stops it.

[durt]

Pieces flying off in the second clip

[William May]

A LOT of REALLY GOOD VIDEOS! Kudos to those dodging the flying parts whipping around.


This is DEFINITELY a "5 Corn Post"!

[William May]

[HIGHTECHDUDE]

One more...

[akham]

Originally Posted by HIGHTECHDUDE ↗

One more...

This video makes the cause extremely clear.

You can see the rotational speed of the tail rotor decrease just before the machine starts to spin.

There is no situation where that can be normal. The pilot cannot cause that. The rotational speed of the tail rotor is mechanically linked to the main rotor speed (they are driven by the same engine/transmission). So if the tail rotor suddenly slows down, something broke.

There were some old Airworthiness Directives (which did apply to this exact aircraft) due to faulty parts in the tail rotor drive chain. But that should have been long resolved.

There was a more recent AD for Bell helos that referenced tail rotor drive issues, and that *may* be relevant.

[volleyballbat]

He dared to cut a palm tree of the city and blocked the stairs. What a stunt!

[Mr.NoCredit]

What the hell was the pilot doing that low to the ground in a public area!?!

[akham]