# Incident 20040618013559I: Snias AS350B2, Sparks, NV, June 18, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 18, 2004, 17:11 local time
- Place: Sparks, NV
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: KBMA
- Location: 39.5349° N, 119.7527° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sparks, NV, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5349&lon=-119.7527&mi=10
- Aircraft: N345SH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N345SH-2022-09-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (registry code 8680950, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B2
- Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL1D1
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total, 2,400 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040618013559I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT INDICATES HE PERFORMED A RECOGNIZANCE OF THE INTENDED LANDING AREA AND NOTICED NO UNUSUAL WINDS IN THE AREA OF THE FIRE THEY WERE SUPPORTING. AS THE PILOT SET UP HIS LANDING APPROACH HE STATED EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRSPEED DROPPED TO BELOW 40 KNOTS THEN IT SUDDENLY INDICATED ZERO FOLLOWED BY A RAPID DESCENT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY OUT OF THE AREA BUT COULD NOT. AS THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED THE GROUND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE THEN CUSHION THE LANDING. UPON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND THE HELICOPTER REBOUNDED INTO THE AIR AND THE PILOT FLEW TO AN AREA AWAY FROM THE WILDFIRE DANGER. AFTER THE PILOT SHUT THE HELICOPTER DOWN HE NOTICED SOME WRINKLING ON THE TAILBOOM.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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