# NTSB ANC26LA018: Bell Textron Canada 505, N911FW, Fort Worth, TX, March 8, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: March 7, 2026, 22:10 local (Mar 8, 2026, 04:10 UTC)
- Place: Fort Worth, TX
- Coordinates: 32.813313, -97.352288 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8133&lon=-97.3523&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: Safran, Bell Helicopters, FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 202617
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC26LA018
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202617/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA018

## Preliminary report

On March 7, 2026, at 2210 Central daylight time, a Bell Textron 505 helicopter, N911FW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas. The pilot and crew member were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public use flight. The pilot reported that during takeoff, as the helicopter was climbing above the trees the engine power decreased to idle power. The pilot performed a forced landing to an open grass field. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. A post examination of the wreckage is pending.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Bell Textron Canada 505, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=1182166), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N911FW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N911FW), registered now, S/N 65491, built 2024 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL TEXTRON CANADA LTD 505
- Registry model: [Bell Textron Canada 505](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-textron-canada-505) (registry code 1182166) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Safran ARRIUS-2R](https://openairdocs.org/engine/safran-arrius-2r) (registry code 59992, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 65491
- Year built: 2024
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Public aircraft - local, Public use
- Operator: City Of Fort Worth
- Registered owner: City Of Fort Worth
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: KFTW, Fort Worth, TX
- Airport: FTW, Fort Worth Meacham Intl

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC)
- Wind: 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observed at: KFTW, 1 nm away
- METAR: METAR KFTW 080353Z 31004KT 10SM CLR 09/07 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP193 T00890067

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.