Texas DPS Helicopter Crashes While on Border Interdiction Sortie

BRACKETTVILLE, TX — The Texas DPS said that a helicopter on a mission to seek and interdict illegal migrants in Kinney County crashed Thursday night at approximately 7:20 p.m. The single-engine police helicopter was operating as part of Operation Lone Star, the State of Texas' border security surge.

Sunset was at 6:04 p.m. so the crash happened during nighttime conditions. DPS said the crew of the helicopter was conducting operations using night vision goggles under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) and Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The crash site is north of FM 1908 and west of FM 131.

The two-man crew experienced a total loss of engine power and executed an auto-gyro descent to the ground. The crew was unharmed except the co-pilot suffered a minor injury to his hand. The helicopter was substantially damaged, however.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been notified and we expect the NTSB to announce the beginning of their investigation sometime on Friday. Texas DPS has secured the scene until investigators arrive.

News of the crash was broken by News Nation journalist Ali Bradley who has extensively covered the crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border. You can follow Ms. Bradley's reports on her Facebook page.

The Texas DPS helicopter that crashed is an Airbus H125 that is widely used in law enforcement applications such as border patrolling.