A Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) Airbus Helicopters H145 D-3 sustained substantial damage on May 23, 2025, following a hard landing near Nothum, in the northwest of Luxembourg. The incident occurred at the end of a mission responding to a traffic accident on the N27 road near Lac de la Haute-Sûre.
The helicopter, bearing registration LX-HLP and operating under the callsign Air Rescue 2, had been dispatched from Ettelbruck Hospital Helipad (ELET) to provide emergency medical assistance following a reported car accident between Nothum and Bavigne. The crash did not result in serious injuries, and no patient transport was required.
However, during take-off at approximately 17:00 local time, the H145’s rotor blades came into contact with nearby tree branches. The impact caused a rotor imbalance that led to severe vibrations and forced the crew to execute a hard landing shortly after.
Luxembourg Air Rescue H145 D-3 helicopter strikes a tree while responding to a car accident between Nothum and Bavigne in Luxembourg on Friday.
The pilot was forced to make a “hard landing” on the road. None of the four people on board the helicopter were injured. There was no… pic.twitter.com/xcujJwg9Zf
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) May 24, 2025
While the crew escaped unharmed, the helicopter sustained major structural damage and has been deemed no longer airworthy. LAR stated that the aircraft has been safely secured and poses no danger to the public or environment.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident and evaluate whether operational or environmental factors played a role. In the meantime, Luxembourg’s emergency medical air services remained fully functional. A backup helicopter was operational from the morning of May 24, 2025, to ensure continued coverage.
Luxembourg Air Rescue operates a fleet of two H145 helicopters across the country, which were acquired in 2023.
