# Incident 20141025019879I: Eurocopter AS 350 B3, Watkins, CO, October 25, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 25, 2014, 20:30 local time
- Place: Watkins, CO
- Airport: Front Range Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 39.6984° N, 104.5772° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Watkins, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6984&lon=-104.5772&mi=10
- Aircraft: N108LN, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N108LN) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680954, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 8,750 total, 358 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141025019879I

## Narrative

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

ON TRAINING INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO RUNWAY 35 AT NIGHT UNDER NVIS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAD REACHED DECISION HEIGHT (200 FEET AGL) THE CHECK AIRMAN (ACE)  TOOK THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT, LEVELED OFF AND CONTACTED THE TOWER TO REQUEST CLEARANCE TO RUNWAY 26 FOR LANDING. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING CLEARANCE THE (ACE) SAW A LINE OF DUCKS CROSS IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IMPACT WITH A DUCK OCCURRED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. UPON IMPACT THE (ACE) HELD THE CONTROLS STEADY AND CALLED FOR THE OTHER PILOT TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE HE HAD LOST VISUAL EFFECTIVENESS DO TO DEBRI OF THE DUCK COMING THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN ON HIS SIDE (LEFT) OF THE AIRCRAFT AND HITTING HIS HELMET AND NVIS GOGGLES. THE SECOND PILOT PROCEEDED TO RUNWAY 26 AS CLEARED AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS A BROKEN LEFT WINDSCREEN. THE (ACE) HAD ONLY VERY MINOR SCRATCHES ON HIS FACE. HE DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE OTHER PILOT HAD NO INJURIES.

## Other reports on N108LN (1)

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

- [Incident 20141202021019I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141202021019I), Dec 2, 2014: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (N108LN), Watkins, CO, Minor damage. On 12/02/2014 at approximately 2015 MST, N108LN an Airbus helicopter AS-350-B3 sustained minor damage to the tail rotor blades after making contact with an 8…

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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