Where in the U.S. do helicopter accidents occur? (2024)

Usually, helicopter accidents occur in states where more helicopters are flying year round and where helicopters operate most often for industry purposes.

Helicopter accidents — 2007 to 2016

1. California: 177
2. Texas: 164
3. Florida: 104
4. Arizona: 87
5. Washington: 57
6. Alaska: 54
7. Oregon: 46
8. Utah: 40
9. Colorado: 34
10. Nevada: 32
11. Pennsylvania: 32
12. Hawaii: 31
13. Minnesota: 31
14. Louisiana: 30

Within nine states in the western U.S. (California, Arizona, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Hawaii), there were 558 accidents in the nine-year period, accounting for 38.3 percent of all helicopter accidents.

Three states on the Gulf of Mexico (Texas, Florida, and Louisiana) totaled 298 accidents – 20.5 percent of all accidents in the country.

Two states in the north were on the list (Pennsylvania and Minnesota), totaling 63 accidents – 4.3 percent of the U.S. total.

In the remaining 36 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, there were 538 accidents – 36.9 percent of the total.

During 2017, the three states at the top of the list remain the same, but there are some differences:

1. California: 21
2. Texas: 12
3. Florida: 9
4. Indiana: 7
5. Louisiana: 6
6. Nevada: 5
7. Illinois: 5