20090307003859A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Snias AS 350 BA · Long Beach, CA · March 7, 2009

Date
March 7, 2009 · 08:45 local
Place
Long Beach, CA
Airport
Queensway Bay Heliport
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N234AH
Reported as
Snias AS350BA
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,578 total182 in this make and model96 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) The pilot made a high speed low angle approach to the company helipad and while making an exaggerated flare to lose airspeed and position the aircraft for landing, the tail rotor and lower vertical stabilizer struck the edge of the asphalt landing pad, shattering the tail rotor hub and blade assembly. Secondary damage was caused to the tail rotor driveshaft, tail rotor pitch control, and tail boom assembly. Tail rotor and ground fragments may have caused damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot was able to land the helicopter immediately following the impact preventing further aircraft damage and personal injury.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT MADE A HIGH SPEED LOW ANGLE APPROACH TO THE COMPANY HELIPAD AND WHILE MAKING AN EXAGGERATED FLARE TO LOSE AIRSPEED AND POSITION THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING, THE TAIL ROTOR AND LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZER STRUCK THE EDGE OF THE ASPHALT LANDING PAD, SHATTERING THE TAIL ROTOR HUB AND BLADE ASSEMBLY. SECONDARY DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT, TAIL ROTOR PITCH CONTROL, AND TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY. TAIL ROTOR AND GROUND FRAGMENTS MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE IMPACT PREVENTING FURTHER AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND PERSONAL INJURY.