No fatalities

MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM BK 117 B-2 accident at Hartford, IL, 25 Apr 2025

Hartford, IL, United States

On April 25, 2025, a MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM BK 117 B-2 operated by AIR METHODS LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Hartford, IL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the initial climb at night from a confined area landing zone, that resulted in an impact with a tree, a loss of control, and a subsequent impact with terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 6 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the initial climb at night from a confined area landing zone, that resulted in an impact with a tree, a loss of control, and a subsequent impact with terrain.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained