Accidents
Fatal Rotorcraft Accidents Spike in March
Overall accident rate dipped despite higher fatalities
NTSB at NYC Bell 206 L-4 crash
NTSB surveying the wreckage recovered from the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter that crashed into Hudson River on April 10 near Jersey City, New Jersey.

March marked the deadliest month for U.S. rotorcraft operations in fiscal year 2025 so far, with 11 reported accidents, four of which were fatal and resulting in six deaths, according to the FAA’s latest rotorcraft monthly accident briefing.

While the total number of accidents fell slightly from February, the number of fatal events was the highest for any single month so far this fiscal year (FY), which runs from October 1 to September 30 for the federal government. The four fatal crashes in March exceeded the previous monthly high of two for FY25 and were the most in any month since July 2024.