A Eurocopter EC135T1 rescue helicopter crashed near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, killing two people and injuring several others.

On August 28, 2023, the helicopter bearing the registration N109BC and operated by Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue reportedly suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off from Pompano Beach Airport (PPM), Florida.

It crashed into an apartment complex in a residential area, 800 meters (0.5 mile) southwest of the airport.

“At approximately 8:46 a.m., emergency personnel responded to a call of an aircraft alert located southwest of the Pompano Beach Airpark,” the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Pompano Beach Fire Rescue transported two people to an area hospital.” 

The crash claimed the lives of one occupant onboard and one person on the ground. Two other rescue workers who were in the helicopter as well as two residents were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Footage of the incident released on social media shows the helicopter on fire mid-air, causing a failure of the tail boom. The aircraft then spirals downwards before crashing.