Pilot Debrief

BELL 407 near Dallas, TX — 2026-05-13

Investigation ongoingCEN26LA185
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Date
2026-05-13
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Airport
XA61
Aircraft
BELL 407
Registration
N652AE
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

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 Baylor Medical Center. Before departing from the helipad, the pilot attempted to contact the Dallas Love Field Airport 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 reception. The pilot reported subsequently hearing a “loud crack” and feeling a jolt in the pedals. The pilot landed the helicopter on the helipad and shutdown the engine. Video surveillance footage depicted the helicopter lifting off from the helipad and turning to the right. During the climb and the right turn, the helicopter drifted backward and 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.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Low altitude operation/event · Maneuvering-hover
View NTSB preliminary report

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