# Incident 20040906034469I: Bell 430, Philadelphia, TN, September 6, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 6, 2004, 15:45 local time
- Place: Philadelphia, TN
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HWCA
- Location: 35.6790° N, 84.3999° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Philadelphia, TN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6790&lon=-84.3999&mi=10
- Aircraft: N432UT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N432UT-2014-01-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 430 (registry code 1182150, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-430) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 series (registry code 03014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 430
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,500 total, 240 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040906034469I

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE PILOT AND CREW OF THE EMS HELICOPTER RESPONDED TO AN ON-SCENE FLIGHT FOR PATIENT PICKUP IN A FIELD BESIDE A STATE HIGHWAY. AFTER A HIGH RECON TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS THE PILOT BEGAN AN APPROACH TO THE LANDING AREA. ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT NOTICED WIRES EXTENDING FROM A HOUSE ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE LANDING ZONE AND THEN TERMINATED AT A 5 FOOT HOVER TO TAKE A FINAL LOOK AT THE LANDING SPOT. FIREFIGHTERS STANDING NEXT TO AN AMBULANCE GAVE THE PILOT A SIGNAL TO INCREASE HOVER HEIGHT, WHICH HE DID, AND THEN MOVED FORWARD AND LANDED THE HELICOPTER. ONE OF THE EMS CREWMEMBERS WENT OVER TO TALK TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN CONTACT WITH A HAY BALE. THE CREW HAD FELT NO CONTACT. THEY INSPECTED THE TAIL AREA AND FOUND NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. BEFORE DEPARTING THE AREA THE PILOT MOVED THE THROTTLES TO FULL OPEN AND GOT THE AIRCRAFT LIGHT ON THE WHEELS; FELT NO VIBRATION AND THE PEDALS RESPONDED NORMALLY. HE REDUCED THE THROTTLES TO FLIGHT IDLE AND CHECKED THE PEDALS AGAIN. DURING THE FLIGHT BACK TO THE HOSPITAL THE PILOT REPORTED NORMAL PEDAL RESPONSE AND NO VIBRATION. AFTER CONSULTING THE HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER THE COMPANY REMOVED AND REPLACED THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES.

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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