# Incident 20100411033509I: Eurocopter AS 350 B3, Ketchikan, AK, April 11, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 11, 2010, 08:32 local time
- Place: Ketchikan, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HXSA
- Location: 55.3571° N, 131.6746° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Ketchikan, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=55.3571&lon=-131.6746&mi=10
- Aircraft: N405AE, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N405AE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680954, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,700 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100411033509I

## Narrative

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

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AN AS-350-B3 IN A CONFINED AREA ON HIGH MOUNTAIN PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED  A SOLAR PANEL WITH A MAIN ROTOR BLADE , DESTROYING THE BLADE. CONDITIONS WERE GUSTY WINDS, APPROXIMATELY 30-35 KTS. DUE TO THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND, THE PILOT HAD TO LAND DIFFERENTLY THAN NORMAL, WITH THE OBSTACLE TO HIS SIDE. WHILE LOOKING BACK TO INSURE THAT THE HEEL OF THE SKID WAS ON THE PAD, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT SIDEWAYS INTO THE PANEL FRAME.

## Other reports on N405AE (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20000924041799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000924041799A), Sep 24, 2000: Snias AS350B3 (N405AE), Ketchikan, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) On September 24, 2000, temsco helicopters inc. experienced an uncontained in-flight engine failure of a Eurocopter AS-350-B3 during an instructional…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.