What happened
On February 4, 2026, at approximately 2216 mountain standard time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N56AZ, crashed near Flagstaff, Arizona, resulting in 2 fatal injuries to the pilot and the tactical flight officer (TFO).
The crew had been on a 24-hour shift and had recently completed a rescue mission in Kingman. They were dispatched to Flagstaff to assist law enforcement with an active shooter situation. During the mission, the TFO used a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera to monitor the scene from the air.
At approximately 2205, the helicopter was operating at an altitude between 300 and 500 feet agl, performing turns over the neighborhood. The aircraft later climbed to approximately 9,950 feet msl to provide clearance for another helicopter inbound to a local medical center. After performing a 360-degree turn, the aircraft descended to 8,900 feet msl and began a climbing left turn to align for an out-of-ground-effect hover.
At 2216:43, video footage showed the helicopter began a rapid rotation to the right. This was accompanied by two loud banging sounds. The helicopter then entered a rapid descent, and the TFO radioed, “we’re going down.”
The investigation
The wreckage was located on a dirt access road approximately 3 nautical miles north of the Flagstaff Airport. The main wreckage, consisting of the cockpit, cabin, and aft fuselage, sustained extensive post-accident fire damage.
Investigators found that the tail rotor driveshaft exhibited angular cuts, and the surrounding skin showed deep grooves and blue paint transfer, which were consistent with contact from a main rotor blade. The tailboom was fractured, and the vertical fin showed multiple punctures and impact marks consistent with main rotor blade strikes during the separation sequence.
Data recovered from the engine control unit (ECU) provided a record of the final 18.4 seconds of flight. The data showed that after an initial period of stable operation, the rotor speed (Nr) decreased to 0% while the power turbine speed (Np) increased to an overspeed condition of 112%. This was consistent with the instantaneous removal of the rotor load from the power turbine.
No evidence of ballistic punctures was found during the examination of the helicopter, and the aircraft's maintenance records showed no recent reported anomalies or structural repairs involving the tail rotor or tailboom assemblies.