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20081011848209A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Snias AS350B3 · Alberton, MT · October 11, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
October 11, 2008 · 12:30 local
Place
Alberton, MT
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
RMXA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3817
Reported as
Snias AS350B3
Reported engine
TMECA ARRIEL2B1
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,800 total100 in this make and model50 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) On October 11, 2008, at approximately 12:30 mountain time, a Eurocopter AS-350-B3 being operated by an omniflight inc pilot struck a small abandoned power line after departing from an off airport site on a training exercise about three miles west of Alberton, Montana. Visual meteorlogical conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The wire which was about a quarter inch in diameter cracked the windshields on the left right sides as the wire broke. This occurred at an altitude of approximately 75 to 90 feet above the river during a climbing right turn. The pilot did not see the wire or the two supporting poles as they were obsecured by trees. He did not know what was hit, but made a precautionary landing to inspect the helicopter. He then called for assistance from his company. The helicopter was trailered back to the missoula airport for further inspection and replacement of the left and right windshields. There were no injuries to the crew of three. The flight originated at the missoula, MT community medical center that morning at 10:00 am.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 11, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 MOUNTAIN TIME, A EUROCOPTER AS-350-B3 BEING OPERATED BY AN OMNIFLIGHT INC PILOT STRUCK A SMALL ABANDONED POWER LINE AFTER DEPARTING FROM AN OFF AIRPORT SITE ON A TRAINING EXERCISE ABOUT THREE MILES WEST OF ALBERTON, MONTANA. VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE WIRE WHICH WAS ABOUT A QUARTER INCH IN DIAMETER CRACKED THE WINDSHIELDS ON THE LEFT RIGHT SIDES AS THE WIRE BROKE. THIS OCCURRED AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 75 TO 90 FEET ABOVE THE RIVER DURING A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN. THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE WIRE OR THE TWO SUPPORTING POLES AS THEY WERE OBSECURED BY TREES. HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HIT, BUT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO INSPECT THE HELICOPTER. HE THEN CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM HIS COMPANY. THE HELICOPTER WAS TRAILERED BACK TO THE MISSOULA AIRPORT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINDSHIELDS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW OF THREE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE MISSOULA, MT COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER THAT MORNING AT 10:00 AM.