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20070816019089I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Snias AS 350 B2 · Juneau, AK · August 16, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 16, 2007 · 15:15 local
Place
Juneau, AK
Airport
Juneau International
Phase of flight
To Aborted (Copter/Run Takoff)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
N5JA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N392NS
Reported as
Snias AS350B2
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,529 total192 in this make and model176 in the last 90 days
N392NSRegistered now · Eurocopter AS 350 B2S/N 4166 · Built 2006Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B2Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1D1Turbo-shaft

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) On August 16, 2007, about 1515 adt, a Eurocopter AS-350 helicopter, N392NS, operated as a title 14, CFR part 135 local sightseeing flight, sustained minor damage when during takeoff the tail contacted the taxiway. Aircraft contact was made with the taxiway due to a rapid deceleration initiated by the pilot who heard screams from passengers reacting to a door that opened during the takeoff sequence. The flight was originating at the time of the incident. The pilot and five passengers were not injured. The pilot stated that after the door blew opened that he instinctively lowered collective and applied aft cyclic to slow the aircraft, thinking that the passengers had noticed something more serious than just the door. Because of his close proximity to the ground he felt the tail stinger make contact with the pavement. The pilot completed a landing at the end of the taxiway, secured the controls and the door and then taxied the aircraft back to parking. Damage to the aircraft is limited to the tail stinger and minor sheet metal damage to the lower vertical stabilizer.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON AUGUST 16, 2007, ABOUT 1515 ADT, A EUROCOPTER AS-350 HELICOPTER, N392NS, OPERATED AS A TITLE 14, CFR PART 135 LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN DURING TAKEOFF THE TAIL CONTACTED THE TAXIWAY. AIRCRAFT CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE TAXIWAY DUE TO A RAPID DECELERATION INITIATED BY THE PILOT WHO HEARD SCREAMS FROM PASSENGERS REACTING TO A DOOR THAT OPENED DURING THE TAKEOFF SEQUENCE. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT AND FIVE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE DOOR BLEW OPENED THAT HE INSTINCTIVELY LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT, THINKING THAT THE PASSENGERS HAD NOTICED SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS THAN JUST THE DOOR. BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GROUND HE FELT THE TAIL STINGER MAKE CONTACT WITH THE PAVEMENT. THE PILOT COMPLETED A LANDING AT THE END OF THE TAXIWAY, SECURED THE CONTROLS AND THE DOOR AND THEN TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO PARKING. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS LIMITED TO THE TAIL STINGER AND MINOR SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZER.