# NTSB WPR25LA249: American Eurocopter AS350B3, N279AM, Las Cruces, NM, August 9, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: August 8, 2025, 19:46 local (Aug 9, 2025, 01:46 UTC)
- Place: Las Cruces, NM
- Coordinates: 32.291994, -106.7365
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2920&lon=-106.7365&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200762
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25LA249
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200762/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA249

## Preliminary report

On August 8, 2025, about 1946 mountain daylight time, an Airbus AS350 B3, N279AM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The pilot, two crew members and a passenger were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air medical flight. The pilot reported that the flight departed Gila Regional Heliport (NM85) Silver City, New Mexico with a patient, to conduct an air ambulance operation to Memorial Medical Center Heliport (NM77) Las Cruces, New Mexico. The pilot approached the NM77 helipad to a hover. He then performed a pedal turn to the left and the tail rotor contacted a parking sign that was located near the landing zone. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.

## Sequence of events

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

- [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470) (defining event); cases with it: [American Eurocopter AS350B3, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=1145004), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N279AM](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N279AM), registered now, S/N 4685 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN EUROCOPTER LLC AS350B3
- Registry model: [American Eurocopter AS350B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b3) (registry code 1145002) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1](https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (registry code 60056, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 4685
- Year built: 2009
- Airframe hours: 9411
- Damage: Minor damage
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Air Methods LLC
- Registered owner: Air Methods LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, August 8, 2025
- Departed: NM85, Silver City, NM
- Destination: Same as departure
- Flight plan: Company VFR
- Airport: NM77, Memorial Medical Center Heliport
- Equipment: ADS-B, Video recording device, Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 99 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observed at: KLRU, 9 nm away
- METAR: KLRU 082335Z AUTO 13004KT 10SM CLR 37/M02 A3003 RMK AO2 T03731018

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250809011079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250809011079A), Aug 9, 2025: American Eurocopter LLC AS350B3, Las Cruces, NM, Substantial damage. 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…

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.

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