# Incident 20111202028289I: Bell 222U, Baker, CA, December 2, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 2, 2011, 18:18 local time
- Place: Baker, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 35.2769° N, 116.0717° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Baker, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2769&lon=-116.0717&mi=10
- Aircraft: N431MA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N431MA-2013-06-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 222U (registry code 1182140, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-222u) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming LTS-101 series (registry code 41560, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-lts-101-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 222U
- Reported engine: LYCOMING LTS-101 SER
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,512 total, 84 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111202028289I

## Narrative

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

N431MA AND ANOTHER EMS HELICOPTER WERE DISPATCHED TO AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT SCENE AT NIGHT NEAR INTERSTATE 15 AND ZZYZX ROAD, ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF BAKER CALIFORNIA.  WHEN THE TWO HELICOPTERS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE, THE FIRST LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE SECOND HELICOPTER, N431MA, HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED BY GROUND PERSONNEL TO LAND IN AN AREA BEHIND THE FIRST HELICOPTER.  BOTH THE PILOT AND A FLIGHT NURSE WERE AIDED BY NIGHT VISION GOGGLES DURING APPROACH.  WHILE TRANSITIONING TO A HOVER, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A DIRT MOUND CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO TAIL ROTOR BLADES.

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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