How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 22 severe cases involving helicopters over the past decade. Fractures are the most frequent injury, appearing in 55% of all reported incidents and often requiring extensive surgical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
These incidents frequently result in damage to the brain, which accounts for 14% of reported cases, and fingers, which account for 10% of cases.
How these injuries happen
Injuries involving helicopters often stem from unpredictable interactions between you and aircraft systems. You are frequently harmed by falls from heights while performing maintenance or by being struck by equipment during rotor operation. These accidents occur when safety protocols regarding aircraft proximity and equipment guarding are not strictly followed.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other aircraft incident— n.e.c. | 7 |
| 2 | Other fall to lower level | 5 |
| 3 | Aircraft incidents— unspecified | 3 |
| 4 | In-flight crash, collision | 2 |
| 5 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 1 |
| 6 | Non-passenger struck by aircraft | 1 |
| 7 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 1 |
| 8 | Struck against stationary object | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Transportation and warehousing and public administration each account for 27% of reported helicopter injuries. These sectors frequently utilize rotary wing aircraft for logistics, tactical training, and emergency response, placing you in situations where rotor wash or mechanical failures can lead to sudden, severe impacts.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you being struck by rotating components during maintenance, falling from elevated aircraft steps, or suffering injuries due to environmental hazards created by rotor wash. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine if employer negligence played a role.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was performing maintenance on a helicopter. The employee slipped and fell, striking an integrated step and a window on the helicopter before landing on the hangar floor. The employee suffered broken ribs, fractured vertebrae, and a laceration to the back of the head." | |
| 2025 | LA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was stepping down from an aircraft after closing a cowling. The drip rail of the aircraft caught his left little finger and broke it." | |
| 2024 | NM | Public Administration | "On July 17, 2024, an agent was conducting airborne tactical insertion training when they landed faster than expected and sustained a fractured sacrum, a laceration to their right shin, a puncture wound to the top of their left foot, and multiple abrasions to the lower extremities." | |
| 2024 | UT | Public Administration | "An employee was engaged in fire fighting operations on a mountain ridge and was receiving assistance from an airborne vehicle. The air vehicle was at a low elevation when the water drop or rotor wash from the air support caused trees to fall down. The employee was struck by a falling tree, resulting in fractures to their shoulder and face and a dislocated jaw." | |
| 2024 | AL | Transportation & Warehousing | "A maintenance crew was working on a helicopter. The injured employee climbed the back of the helicopter to attach a tie-down rope to the aircraft rotor. While he was securing the rope to the rotor, it rotated and struck him, causing him to slide down the side of the helicopter and strike the fuel fuselage before impacting the ground. The employee fractured his left tibia and fibula." | |
| 2023 | LA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was working on a helicopter when they fell from the top of the aircraft to the ground, resulting in a head injury." | |
| 2022 | NH | Construction | "An employee was working in bucket truck with a helicopter that had a suspended load. The load struck the employee and he was hospitalized with a broken arm, which required surgery." | |
| 2022 | NM | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was performing firefighting duties on the ground when a helicopter above the employee dropped water onto the ground as a fire retardant. The employee was struck by the water, resulting in a broken jaw and facial lacerations. The employee also sustained lacerations to the right thumb and wrist that required stitches and left knee fractures as well as general bruising to the entire body." | |
| 2021 | NY | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was preparing an inoperable AH-64 Apache Helicopter for tractor-trailer removal from the training area. During the process, the helicopter rolled on its side and caught the employee's left leg underneath it resulting in a fractured tibia, fibula, and ankle." | |
| 2021 | CA | Public Administration | "An employee was rappelling from a helicopter when he fell to the ground, resulting in a broken leg." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Seek immediate medical attention and ensure your employer files an official incident report. Document the specific equipment involved and any safety failures you observed, as this evidence is critical for your Workers' Compensation claim. An attorney can help you navigate the reporting process and ensure your rights are protected.
Yes, Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for work-related injuries, including fractures sustained during aircraft operations. Because these injuries are often severe, you may be entitled to ongoing benefits for rehabilitation and long-term care. An attorney can help you verify that your claim accurately reflects the full extent of your injuries.
While Workers' Compensation is typically the primary remedy for workplace injuries, there are instances where third-party liability or specific employer conduct may allow for additional legal action. Determining if you have a case beyond standard benefits requires a thorough review of the safety standards and maintenance logs involved in your accident. An attorney can help you evaluate these details to identify all potential avenues for recovery.
Employers are required to maintain a safe environment for you when working around aircraft, which includes providing proper training, adequate fall protection, and strict adherence to equipment guarding standards. When these safety measures are ignored, it can lead to preventable accidents. An attorney can help you understand whether your employer met these legal obligations.