- Date
- February 17, 2025, 15:03 local (20:03 UTC)
- Place
- Philadelphia, PA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N405TJEurocopter Deutschland EC135T2UnknownDJI Air 3
- Defining events
- Approach: Midair collisionManeuvering: Midair collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- BEA, FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250217000829A
- Case key
- 199768
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The sUAS operator’s failure to see and avoid a helicopter, resulting in a midair collision between the helicopter and the sUAS.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
N405TJ · Eurocopter Deutschland EC135T2
DJI Air 3
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
N405TJ · Eurocopter Deutschland EC135T2
DJI Air 3
Analysis
The purpose of the helicopter flight was a medical resupply for a local hospital. According to the pilot of the helicopter, while on final approach to the hospital’s helipad, he heard and felt something impact the upper portion of the helicopter. After the impact sound, the pilot reported seeing a small black object fall down the right side of the windscreen. The pilot continued the approach to the helipad and landed uneventfully. After landing, an inspection of the helicopter revealed one of the main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no signs of bird snarge or feathers to indicate the impact was with a bird. After the accident, small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operator, who had been operating a sUAS in the area of the accident flight, reported to a Federal Aviation (FAA) office that he had heard a helicopter and attempted to land his sUAS. After the helicopter flew by, he reported that his control station lost contact with the sUAS. An FAA inspector and the sUAS operator were unsuccessful in their subsequent search for the sUAS. Multiple follow up attempts to interview the sUAS operator and to retrieve the flight controller’s datalog were unsuccessful. Based on the available information, the object that impacted the helicopter was likely the operator’s sUAS.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N405TJ
- Reported as
- Eurocopter Deutschland EC135T2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0405
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 7,342.09
- Engines
- Safran ARRIUS 2B2, 633 horsepower, turbo shaftSafran ARRIUS 2B2, 633 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 135
- Operator
- Air Methods LLC, doing business as JeffSTAT
- Registered owner
- Air Methods LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 2, 2025
- Departed
- PN03 · Abington, PA
- Destination
- 9PA8 · Philadelphia, PA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 9PA8 · Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, runway H1, 40 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- Unknown
- Reported as
- DJI Air 3
- Category
- Unknown, unmanned
- Serial number
- Unknown
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Business · Part 107
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N405TJ
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 9, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,293.8 total · 330 in this make and model · 1,817 as pilot in command · 35.2 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Remote
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 18 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- PHL, 5 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPHL 171954Z 27018G28KT 10SM FEW070 03/M14 A2994 RMK AO2 PK WND 26034/1930 SLP137 T00281139 $=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.