What happened
On March 21, 2026, at approximately 14:06 mountain daylight time, an Aerospatiale SA341G Gazelle, registration N71FR, was involved in an accident near Winslow, Arizona. The helicopter was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for a personal cross-country flight.
The pilot had hired a flight instructor to fly from Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU) in Nevada to Spruce Creek Airport (7FL6) in Florida. During the first leg of the trip, the crew landed at Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport (INW) to refuel. After adding 83 gallons of Jet-A fuel and completing preflight and start-up procedures without issue, the pilot attempted a max performance takeoff from the ramp.
During the climb, which reached a maximum altitude of approximately 12 feet, the pilot observed the maximum torque caution light flicker and illuminate. Following instructions from the flight instructor to lower the collective, the pilot reduced the collective slightly and turned the aircraft to the right. The helicopter then settled onto the ground, resulting in a hard landing. The impact caused substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot also noted that the engine experienced an over-temperature event lasting at least 8 seconds at temperatures exceeding 800° C.
There were 2 minor injuries reported, and 0 fatalities.