A Las Vegas Metro Police Search and Rescue helicopter prepares to land at a staging area after taking officials to survey a helicopter crash site near Lake Mead about 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas, December 8, 2011.

LAS VEGAS – A tourist helicopter based in Las Vegas crashed near the Hoover Dam on Wednesday, killing all five people aboard, the National Park Service said.

The pilot of the helicopter and all four passengers are confirmed dead, the Lake Mead National Recreational Area said on its Twitter feed.

The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter crashed during the late afternoon, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. The circumstances of the crash approximately 12 miles east of Las Vegas McCarran International Airport were not known, he said.

The crash occurred on the western side of the River Mountains about a half mile within the boundary of Lake Mead National Recreation Area and about 4 miles west of the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Plant, according to National Park Service spokesman Andrew Munoz.

The helicopter belonged to Sundance helicopters, according to the park service, and crashed near Lake Mead.

Aviation Accidents

A plane crash is one of the most devastating accidents that can occur. Usually in an airplane crash (small planes, helicopters, commercial airliners, hot air balloons etc.) all passengers and crew members are killed.

At the Law Offices of Gary A. Kessler, we are experienced in aviation law with a reputation of success in aircraft accident cases. We have the knowledge and experience to identify those responsible in the airplane crash (i.e. pilot error, mechanical failure of the sircraft and/or its component parts).

If you are considering filing a claim against an airline or helicopter tour company, small aircraft company, commercial airline or a “hot air balloon company” to recover damages suffered by you or your family, seek advice from a lawyer such as Gary A Kessler who has experience in “aviation law.”

Demand accountability from those responsible for the aviation (airplane, helicopter, hot air balloon rides, etc.) accidents.  Many times the insurance companies will play “hardball” if you try to settle the case yourself or you have employed a lawyer who does not have the litigation experience to handle such a complex case,  We at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler have twenty years of litigation experience and know how to handle the insurance companies to your advantage.  We are prepared to front all costs required for the necessary investigation and expert witnesses needed to prepare your case for trial.

Aviation law cases are complex and include many facets of the law.  It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced aviation accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.

The California aviation accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with extreme grief and sorrow associated with the loss of a loved one.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its aviation accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention neccessary to obtain a successful result for your aviation accident case.

It is essential to isolate the causes of an aircraft accident. The Law Offices of Gary A. Kessler has the expert witness resources and investigation team necessary to uncover the causes of an aircraft accident. We are prepared to front the intial costs required for the necessary investigation and expert witnesses. In an aviation accident case, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney’s fees on their behalf. Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery. If there is no recovery, no attorney’s fees or costs are owed to our firm, thus in all personal injury cases handled by the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler, our fees are recovered as a percentage of any settlement or verdict awarded to our clients.