# Accident 20090307003859A: Snias AS350BA, Long Beach, CA, March 7, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 7, 2009, 08:45 local time
- Place: Long Beach, CA
- Airport: Queensway Bay Heliport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7549° N, 118.1950° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Queensway Bay Heliport, closed, within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7549&lon=-118.1950&mi=10
- Aircraft: N234AH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N234AH-2020-01-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 BA (registry code 8680955, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-ba) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350BA
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,578 total, 182 in this make and model, 96 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090307003859A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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