20080703840309I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 205A1 · Truckee, CA · July 3, 2008

Date: July 3, 2008 · 11:30 local
Place: Truckee, CA
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: GDMA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N58HJ
Reported as: Bell 205A1
Reported engine: HNYWL T5317BHNYWL
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 14,250 total5,650 in this make and model47 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 an external load operation conducted as a public use aircraft on contract to the united states forest service, the main rotor blades came into contact with a tree. Damage to the main rotor blades was limited to punctures of the skin and honeycomb core. The pilot stated he was attempting to deliver a 750 pound external load on a 150 foot long line to a confined area when the incident occured. The pilot started his descent into the wind which placed the tree at the aircraft right rear 4 o'clock position. Contact between the rotor blades and tree occured while the pilot was attempting to place the load on the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING AN EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION CONDUCTED AS A PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT ON CONTRACT TO THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A TREE. DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WAS LIMITED TO PUNCTURES OF THE SKIN AND HONEYCOMB CORE. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO DELIVER A 750 POUND EXTERNAL LOAD ON A 150 FOOT LONG LINE TO A CONFINED AREA WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURED. THE PILOT STARTED HIS DESCENT INTO THE WIND WHICH PLACED THE TREE AT THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT REAR 4 O'CLOCK POSITION. CONTACT BETWEEN THE ROTOR BLADES AND TREE OCCURED WHILE THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PLACE THE LOAD ON THE GROUND.