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 1785761257Data 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