20010831026689I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Vandelia, MI · August 31, 2001

Date: August 31, 2001 · 14:40 local
Place: Vandelia, MI
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N616TV
Reported as: Bell 206B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total6,000 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) During a television newscast, the helicopter was hovering over an area where a criminal investigation was being conducted. A man started shooting at the helicopter and hit the horizontal stabilizer. This was the only damage noticed. Aircraft returned to south bend, Indiana, without further incident. Fbi involved in the investigation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING A TELEVISION NEWSCAST, THE HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING OVER AN AREA WHERE A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WAS BEING CONDUCTED. A MAN STARTED SHOOTING AT THE HELICOPTER AND HIT THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THIS WAS THE ONLY DAMAGE NOTICED. AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. FBI INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION.