Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC135T2 and DJI Air 3 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 17, 2025
On February 17, 2025 at about 8:03 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC135T2 (N405TJ) and DJI Air 3 (UNKNOWN), were involved in the same accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Thomas Jefferson University Ho airport). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The sUAS operator’s failure to see and avoid a helicopter, resulting in a midair collision between the helicopter and the sUAS.
The sUAS operator’s failure to see and avoid a helicopter, resulting in a midair collision between the helicopter and the sUAS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2025 · about 8:03 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Thomas Jefferson University Ho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC135T2, built 2005
- Registration
- N405TJ · registry record · serial 0405
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- DJI Air 3 · all Air 3s on the register
- Registration
- UNKNOWN · no longer on the register · serial Unknown
- Damage
- Damage not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · small-drone rules (Part 107)
The NTSB's narrative for the Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC135T2 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the helicopter flight was a medical resupply for a local hospital. According to the pilot of the helicopter, while on final approach to the hospital’s helipad, he heard and felt something impact the upper portion of the helicopter. After the impact sound, the pilot reported seeing a small black object fall down the right side of the windscreen. The pilot continued the approach to the helipad and landed uneventfully. After landing, an inspection of the helicopter revealed one of the main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no signs of bird snarge or feathers to indicate the impact was with a bird. After the accident, small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operator, who had been operating a sUAS in the area of the accident flight, reported to a Federal Aviation (FAA) office that he had heard a helicopter and attempted to land his sUAS. After the helicopter flew by, he reported that his control station lost contact with the sUAS. An FAA inspector and the sUAS operator were unsuccessful in their subsequent search for the sUAS. Multiple follow up attempts to interview the sUAS operator and to retrieve the flight controller’s datalog were unsuccessful. Based on the available information, the object that impacted the helicopter was likely the operator’s sUAS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the DJI Air 3 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the helicopter flight was a medical resupply for a local hospital. According to the pilot of the helicopter, while on final approach to the hospital’s helipad, he heard and felt something impact the upper portion of the helicopter. After the impact sound, the pilot reported seeing a small black object fall down the right side of the windscreen. The pilot continued the approach to the helipad and landed uneventfully. After landing, an inspection of the helicopter revealed one of the main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no signs of bird snarge or feathers to indicate the impact was with a bird. After the accident, small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operator, who had been operating a sUAS in the area of the accident flight, reported to a Federal Aviation (FAA) office that he had heard a helicopter and attempted to land his sUAS. After the helicopter flew by, he reported that his control station lost contact with the sUAS. An FAA inspector and the sUAS operator were unsuccessful in their subsequent search for the sUAS. Multiple follow up attempts to interview the sUAS operator and to retrieve the flight controller’s datalog were unsuccessful. Based on the available information, the object that impacted the helicopter was likely the operator’s sUAS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC135T2 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Midair collision during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot of other aircraft
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,293.8 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 35.2 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,817 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 9, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,342.1 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 2, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 6,237 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Safran ARRIUS 2B2 (turboshaft); 7,220 hours total
- Engine 2: Safran ARRIUS 2B2 (turboshaft); 8,540 hours total
- Operator: Air Methods LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PN03 Abington PA at 7:54 pm
- Destination: 9PA8 Philadelphia PA
- Runway H1, 40 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 18 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from PHL, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPHL 171954Z 27018G28KT 10SM FEW070 03/M14 A2994 RMK AO2 PK WND 26034/1930 SLP137 T00281139 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
The factual record for the DJI Air 3 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Midair collision during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: remote
- Ratings: rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Mor - FAA Suas Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Mor - Attempts to Interview Suas Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA129.