# Accident 20250809011079A: American Eurocopter LLC AS350B3, Las Cruces, NM, August 9, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 9, 2025, 15:11 local time
- Place: Las Cruces, NM
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 32.2920° N, 106.7365° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2920&lon=-106.7365&mi=10
- Aircraft: N279AM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N279AM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Eurocopter AS350B3 (registry code 1145002, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN EUROCOPTER LLC AS350B3
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B1
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,800 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 58 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR25LA249](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA249) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250809011079A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR25LA249](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA249), Aug 9, 2025: American Eurocopter AS350B3 (N279AM), Las Cruces, NM, minor damage, investigation ongoing

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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