A sudden veer the pilot could not control led to helicopter crash that killed H.B. police officer, NTSB says

The pilot of a Huntington Beach police helicopter that crashed in Newport Harbor two years ago was unable to stabilize the vehicle’s trajectory after it suddenly veered right, according to the final report on the cause of the accident released by the National Transportation Safety Board in December.

Under a contract service agreement with the city of Newport Beach, the Huntington Beach Police Department was providing law enforcement air support when a call for assistance came in from Newport police on the night of Feb. 19, 2022. The crash occurred as the unnamed pilot and Officer Nicholas “Nick” Vella were in the chopper off the coast of the neighboring city, observing a fight.

As Vella was reporting his observations to other police, the pilot was holding the helicopter steady to keep an infrared camera trained on the scene out of concern that one individual would begin fighting an officer when the helicopter suddenly “yawed aggressively to the right” and corrective measures made by the pilot to prevent the descent were nonresponsive.

The helicopter crashed into the waters near Lido Peninsula. The pilot escaped with injuries, but Vella, a 14-year veteran of the department, died.

The 17-page NTSB report confirms details from the initial investigation but adds that the pilot’s fatigue may have also played a role in the crash.

Authorities said in the report, “Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.” Investigators said the probable cause was “the helicopter’s encounter with unanticipated right yaw during a low-altitude, low-airspeed, tight-radius orbit.”

It also noted the pilot may have been distracted by his concern for the officers on the ground and that his fatigue from an early waking time may have inhibited his ability to make a recovery.

The pilot was returning from an out-of-state trip and had woken up at 4 a.m. that day before taking a commercial flight to Long Beach and reporting for his shift at the Huntington Beach Police Department at 3 p.m. Authorities said the department did not have any policies in place relating to crew rest requirements prior to reporting for duty.

“The Huntington Beach Police Department is in receipt of the NTSB’s Report on the crash of our HB1 helicopter almost two years ago,” Huntington Beach spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said on Friday. “As is the case with any incident, the department is reviewing existing policies and procedures designed to enhance the safety of our officers and community.”

Vella was widely mourned by his community and other police agencies.

Flowers surround a photograph of Huntington Beach Police Officer Nick Vella at a memorial for him in February 2022. He was killed during a helicopter crash in Newport Beach. The memorial took place at the Huntington Beach Police Department.

(James Carbone)