No fatalities

EUROCOPTER EC130 B4 accident at Tulsa, OK, 25 Feb 2021

Tulsa, OK, United States

On February 25, 2021, an EUROCOPTER EC130 B4 operated by Air Methods Corporation was involved in an aviation accident near Tulsa, OK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s improper decision to approach the airport and enter a low altitude hover with a gusting quartering tailwind, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a turn at a low altitude. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 15 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to approach the airport and enter a low altitude hover with a gusting quartering tailwind, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a turn at a low altitude.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

Capability exceededPilotDecision related to conditionEffect on operationAbility to respond/compensate