20110518010289I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell UH-1H · Ellensburg, WA · May 18, 2011

Date: May 18, 2011 · 10:30 local
Place: Ellensburg, WA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N341WN
Reported as: Bell UH-1H
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total16 in the last 90 days

N341WNRegistered now · Bell UH-1HS/N 65-10130 Airframe modelBell UH-1H

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.

During a flight utilizing a 75 foot long line and a bambi bucket, the commercially rated solo pilot decended into the trees damaging both main rotor blades. The damage to the rotor blades included skin damage and deep gouges into the interior honey-comb interior of the blades. The pilot remained airborne and did not land as soon as possible. He instead flew the helicopter back to the Ellensburg, Washington airport and the Washington state dnr facility. The stated purpose of this flight was external load and fire bucket proficiency.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A FLIGHT UTILIZING A 75 FOOT LONG LINE AND A BAMBI BUCKET, THE COMMERCIALLY RATED SOLO PILOT DECENDED INTO THE TREES DAMAGING BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADES INCLUDED SKIN DAMAGE AND DEEP GOUGES INTO THE INTERIOR HONEY-COMB INTERIOR OF THE BLADES. THE PILOT REMAINED AIRBORNE AND DID NOT LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE INSTEAD FLEW THE HELICOPTER BACK TO THE ELLENSBURG, WASHINGTON AIRPORT AND THE WASHINGTON STATE DNR FACILITY. THE STATED PURPOSE OF THIS FLIGHT WAS EXTERNAL LOAD AND FIRE BUCKET PROFICIENCY.