# Incident 20080703840309I: Bell 205A1, Truckee, CA, July 3, 2008

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 3, 2008, 11:30 local time
- Place: Truckee, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: GDMA
- Location: 39.3280° N, 120.1833° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Truckee, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.3280&lon=-120.1833&mi=10
- Aircraft: N58HJ (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 205A1
- Reported engine: HNYWL T5317BHNYWL
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,250 total, 5,650 in this make and model, 47 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080703840309I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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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