What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 08/09/2025 while landing at Las Cruces memorial hospital heli-pad, an air ambulance helicopter drifted while in a pedal turn and contacted a set of handicap signs. No injuries pilot plus 2 pax and patient on board.
The pilot was landing north-northeast at memorial hospital pad. The pilot stated it was a slow approach and stopped on center of heli-pad to a hover and made a left pedal turn into the wind nose left tail right 90DEG. Pilot thought he had enough space then he impacted the sign and spun the pilot tried inputting yaw right pedal with no command authority he then put the collective down landed the aircraft and turned engine off.
As the FAA filed it
ON 08/09/2025 WHILE LANDING AT LAS CRUCES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HELI-PAD, AN AIR AMBULANCE HELICOPTER DRIFTED WHILE IN A PEDAL TURN AND CONTACTED A SET OF HANDICAP SIGNS. NO INJURIES PILOT PLUS 2 PAX AND PATIENT ON BOARD.
THE PILOT WAS LANDING NORTH-NORTHEAST AT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PAD. THE PILOT STATED IT WAS A SLOW APPROACH AND STOPPED ON CENTER OF HELI-PAD TO A HOVER AND MADE A LEFT PEDAL TURN INTO THE WIND NOSE LEFT TAIL RIGHT 90DEG. PILOT THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH SPACE THEN HE IMPACTED THE SIGN AND SPUN THE PILOT TRIED INPUTTING YAW RIGHT PEDAL WITH NO COMMAND AUTHORITY HE THEN PUT THE COLLECTIVE DOWN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT AND TURNED ENGINE OFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.