No injuries in airplane-helicopter collision in North Las Vegas
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the non-injury collision of a small airplane and an airborne Utah government helicopter Friday at North Las Vegas Airport, an FAA spokeswoman said.
A Cessna model 172M single-engine plane had just landed shortly before 10:30 a.m. and was taxiing down the runway when it struck a Robinson R44 helicopter, which was hovering, said Mina Kaji, media representative for the FAA in Washington, D.C.
Two people were in the Cessna and one person in the copter, Kaji said.
No one was hurt and first responders cleared the scene, said Joe Rajchel, public information administrator for the Clark County Department of Aviation.
Rajchel said he was unsure about any damage to either aircraft from the minor crash.
FAA and NTSB inspectors will analyze details of the collision, with the NTSB leading the probe and providing additional updates, Kaji said.
The Cessna is registered to 702 Helicopter, Inc., also known as 702 Helicopters, based at North Las Vegas Airport, FAA records show.
The company uses at least one 172 Cessna single engine plane for fixed wing pilot training and owns helicopters for pilot instruction, according to its website. The firm also sells helicopter tours, including of the Las Vegas Strip, Red Rock Canyon and the Grand Canyon.
702 Helicopter, Inc., is owned by Brian Lorenz, of Las Vegas, according to the Nevada Secretary of State website.
The Robinson model helicopter in the crash is registered to Southern Utah University, a public institution based in Cedar City, Utah. The registered address is 2410 Aviation Way, a building beside the Cedar City Regional Airport, according to Google Maps.
In July at the North Las Vegas Airport, a Cessna 172N plane carrying two people and a Piper PA-46-350P aircraft with two persons aboard collided in the air as both prepared to land on separate runways, according to an NTSB report.
All four people were killed. The Cessna carried a flight teacher and student pilot on an instructional flight while the Piper’s passengers were about to arrive on a personal flight from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the agency said.
Contact Jeff Burbank at jburbank@reviewjournal.com. Contact him @JeffBurbank2 on Twitter.
