On 12 May 2026, an Air Evac EMS Bell 407 (N652AE) damaged its tail rotor lifting off from the Baylor University Medical Center helipad in Dallas at night. The pilot and two medical crew were unhurt; no patient was aboard.
After dropping off a patient, the pilot called Dallas Love Field tower for a Class B clearance but got no reply. The pilot lifted into a hover to improve radio reception. Surveillance video shows the helicopter climbing and turning right while drifting backwards, until the tail rotor hit a camera mounted on the building. The pilot heard a “loud crack”, felt a jolt in the pedals, and landed back on the pad. The tail rotor blades and pitch-change links were damaged and the left skid collapsed.
There was no mechanical fault. The operator noted that holding a 3–5 ft hover with visual reference to the pad would likely have prevented the drift. The NTSB’s probable cause: the pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness and clearance from the camera during lift-off.
Photo source: NTSB Docket (FAA photo).