NTSB Cites Lack of Situational Awareness in Medevac Accident

Bell 407 tail rotor struck a rooftop surveillance camera during a night takeoff in Dallas in May.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 01:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The NTSB’s final report determined that a medical helicopter sustained substantial tail rotor damage during a nighttime hospital departure when the pilot experienced unintended backward drift while attempting to establish radio contact. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB determined that a medevac helicopter crash during a night takeoff from a Dallas rooftop helipad was caused by a lack of situational awareness.
The incident occurred as the pilot lifted off to gain altitude for better radio reception, leading to backward drift and the tail rotor impacting a surveillance camera.
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter's tail rotor and landing skid, though all three crew members onboard were uninjured.

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The National Transportation Safety Board has highlighted a lack of situational awareness during a night takeoff from a rooftop helipad as a causal factor in the May 13 crash of a medevac helicopter in Dallas.

The Bell 407, flown by Air Evac Lifeteam, had a crew of three on board when the accident occurred. There were no injuries, but the tail rotor of the helicopter sustained substantial damage.