The aircraft had previously transported a patient to the hospital and was due to return to Granbury Regional Airport (KGDJ) with a single pilot and two medical personnel on board. The pilot had 6451 hours total, 885 hours on type. The NTSB report that:
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. The pilot landed the helicopter on the helipad and shutdown the engine.
…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.
Bell 407 N653AE Tail Rotor Damage (Credit via NTSB)
The left landing skid collapsed consistent with a hard landing.
Bell 407 N653AE Wreckage (Credit via NTSB)
Analysis
The NSTB offer no analysis. Air Evac Lifeteam simply suggest:
…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.
We’d observe from the video that the landing light beam was maintained on the edge of the helideck; a potential clue that the aircraft was drifting aft as it climbed.
NTSB Probable Cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness and clearance from the helipad surveillance camera during liftoff.
Which simply determines what happened not why.
Footnote: Other Recent Occurrences
We are aware of an offshore Airbus H145, PR-OFD, that suffered a similar fate off Brazil on 3 July 2026. Another Brazilian offshore helicopter, Leonardo AW139PR-OOU, also suffered a tail rotor strike during night landing practice on 8 May 2026.
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