CEN26LA185

After dropping a patient off, the air medical helicopter departed from the medical center helipad with the pilot and medical crew onboard in night visual meteorological conditions. Video footage depicted the helicopter drift backward as the helicopter lifted off and began a right turn. The climb, turn, and backward drift continued until the tail rotor impacted a helipad surveillance camera which ended the video footage. The pilot subsequently landed on the helipad with substantial damage to the tail rotor blades, tail rotor pitch change links, and left landing skid. The operator reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.

On May 12, 2026, about 2127 central daylight time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N652AE, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Dallas, Texas. The pilot and two-person medical crew were not injured. There was no patient onboard. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 discretionary air medical flight. The crew had transported a patient to the Baylor University Medical Center Heliport (XA61). Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. Before departing, the pilot attempted to contact the Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) tower controller to request a Class B airspace clearance. When no response was received, the pilot lifted off into a hover in attempt to gain better radio reception. The pilot reported hearing a “loud crack” and felt a jolt in the pedals. he pilot landed the helicopter on the helipad and shutdown the engine. Video surveillance footage depicted the helicopter lift off from the helipad and turn to the right. During the climb and the right turn, the helicopter drifted backward and eventually struck the building mounted camera. The video footage ended at that point. The helicopter sustained damage to the tail rotor blades and tail rotor pitch change links. The left landing skid collapsed consistent with a hard landing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the helicopter before the accident. The operator characterized the facility as a “typical” elevated helipad. They also noted that maintaining a 3- to 5-foot hover and visual reference to the helipad environment might have prevented the unintended lateral and backward drift of the helicopter.