What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On October 1, 2008 at approximately 1900 PDT, N172AE, Eurocopter AS350 B3, serial number 3839, was performing a yearly proficiency exercise and was performing emergency procedures from the left hand pattern for runway 34 at Blaine Municipal. The helicopter had completed two emergency procedure exercises, the first exercise was a run on landing and the second performed was a hydraulic off landing. On the third emergency procedure exercise while peforming a manual governor landing the helicopter made a hard landing. On October 2, 2008 inspectors traveled to the Blaine Municipal Airport and noted the following markings on the runway. There was an initial tail skid mark followed by scraping of both skids and 10 feet ahead of those marks was a gouge on the runway from the wire cutter, followed by one long left skid mark and a shorter right skid mark, forward of those marks at approximately 15 feet there were chatter marks for another 20 feet to where the helicopter came to a stop. Total distance from the first marks to where the helicopter came to rest was approximately 100 feet.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON OCTOBER 1, 2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 PDT, N172AE, EUROCOPTER AS350 B3, SERIAL NUMBER 3839, WAS PERFORMING A YEARLY PROFICIENCY EXERCISE AND WAS PERFORMING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FROM THE LEFT HAND PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 34 AT BLAINE MUNICIPAL. THE HELICOPTER HAD COMPLETED TWO EMERGENCY PROCEDURE EXERCISES, THE FIRST EXERCISE WAS A RUN ON LANDING AND THE SECOND PERFORMED WAS A HYDRAULIC OFF LANDING. ON THE THIRD EMERGENCY PROCEDURE EXERCISE WHILE PEFORMING A MANUAL GOVERNOR LANDING THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING. ON OCTOBER 2, 2008 INSPECTORS TRAVELED TO THE BLAINE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND NOTED THE FOLLOWING MARKINGS ON THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS AN INITIAL TAIL SKID MARK FOLLOWED BY SCRAPING OF BOTH SKIDS AND 10 FEET AHEAD OF THOSE MARKS WAS A GOUGE ON THE RUNWAY FROM THE WIRE CUTTER, FOLLOWED BY ONE LONG LEFT SKID MARK AND A SHORTER RIGHT SKID MARK, FORWARD OF THOSE MARKS AT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET THERE WERE CHATTER MARKS FOR ANOTHER 20 FEET TO WHERE THE HELICOPTER CAME TO A STOP. TOTAL DISTANCE FROM THE FIRST MARKS TO WHERE THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.