What happened
On May 19, 2025, at 19:41 EDT, a Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh BK117-C1, registration N117NC, was involved in an accident near Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. The aircraft was operating as an air medical flight under 14 CFR Part 135. The flight began at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center North Heliporthelipad (PA39) in Philadelphia and was en route to its home base at Wings Field Airport (LOM) following a patient transport mission.
While cruising at approximately 1,300 feet MSL with an indicated airspeed of 120 knots, roughly 3 to 4 nautical miles south of LOM, the helicopter began to shudder violently and became uncontrollable. The pilot reported a total loss of tail rotor thrust and pedal authority, noting that no visual or aural warnings preceded the event.
In response to the loss of control, the pilot lowered the collective and initiated an autorotation. The pilot identified a grass field near a driveway as a landing site. The helicopter touched down after rotating approximately 180 degrees. Following the landing, the pilot performed an emergency engine shutdown and applied the rotor brake. The accident resulted in 3 minor injuries and 0 fatalities. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.