Texas DPS helicopter crashes during border operation; 1 injured, investigation underway

A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed Thursday evening in a field near the state's southern border after experiencing a "total loss of power" midflight, according to officials.

At about 7:20 p.m., the two-person crew aboard the single-engine helicopter entered an "auto-rotative descent" before crashing near FM 1908, just west of FM 131, in Kinney County, Lt. Chris Olivarez, a DPS spokesperson, said Thursday evening in a post to X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter.

The co-pilot suffered a minor hand injury, and the helicopter sustained "substantial" damage, Olivarez said.

The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 B2, crashed into a field near Spofford, according to Crystal Essiaw, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson. Spofford is an unincorporated town south of Brackettville, the county seat of Kinney County.

The FAA's preliminary investigation of the crash states that "engine issues" led to the crash. In a statement Friday, Essiaw said the investigation remains ongoing.

Olivarez said the helicopter was in a "border interdiction patrol flight" as part of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott's border security initiative launched in March 2021.

The nature of the specific mission the helicopter was on at the time of the crash is unclear. Ericka Miller, a DPS spokesperson, did not provide answers to a list of questions Friday. In his post on X, Olivarez said the DPS would not release additional information until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its investigation.

A preliminary report by the NTSB should be published online within two to three weeks. The final report could take 12 to 24 months, NTSB spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick said in a statement.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DPS helicopter crashes after 'total power loss' near Texas-Mexico border